AnnaMolly
by SteelAgainstIvory
Summary: A story told through memories... Beautiful, sad, and mysterious is the past for Zim and Dib. But the past doesn't always stay where it belongs--after all, star-crossed lovers are timeless tales. ZaDr: Fate Or Something Better, They Could Care Less
1. A Place Called Home

**A/N: **I'm a freak, 'nough said. Had a dream, deiced to write it down one boring afternoon.

**Warning:** Contains… lots of crap really… like AlienxBoy mating that results in weirdness… compared to that everything is just peachy.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, don't own… But I like to dream sometimes….

**Summary: **A story within a story… Love… what is it truly? Can it survive time and curses…? Zim and Dib have been wronged with secrets and promises must be broken or kept… What is happening? The only way to find out is to read…

**Remember:**

"Speech"

_Thoughts/Memories_

Time Breaks

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter One- **A Place Called Home

_My father is wonderful… I love him with all my heart. So does my sister. We would do **anything** for him… But I don't think… it'll be much longer before our love gives out… because it's not our love he needs…_

"Wake up!" a female's voice rang loudly in non-existent ears. A small creature, like that of a ten year old boy, woke up with a start. Groggily, his even fingered hands rubbed his aching head.

"Wha…?" he questioned. Another figure put her hands on his hips. The room was gloomy, but that didn't mean the two didn't know who it was or where they were. They were currently residing in Last Port, a science research and development center used to fight the Armada.

"I swear! If I didn't see you breathing you could pass for dead!"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard…"

"Shut up! Just get dressed! We're going into the tank today!"

The female left and it automatically lighted the room. On the bed sat an olive colored boy with large glowing gold eyes. He growled as he jumped out of bed to put on some warm clothes. His four fingered hands pulled on thick black pants and threw on a shirt from somewhere. His antennae twitched in annoyance. But he paused when he noted the inky sky, speckled in distant planets and full of floating dusty meteors in the window view.

"**NO**!"

The boy flinched. _Father must have been told about the tank…_ The boy quickly grabbed his boots and stumbled to leave his room, the light turning out as he pushed the red button so the metallic doors could close. As expected, his father was turning a color of magenta while being gently held back by his sister.

"There is no way I'm letting you dip them in that **thing**!" the father's amber eyes were flashing behind his glasses and his dark hair bobbed slightly as his shook his head firmly. The man in the white coat sighed. The green-skinned boy padded up to his father.

"I assure you, it's only a secondary test, it's been a few years, and I'm sure they've grown immunities," the scientist's deep voice spoke as the man had been dealing with this his whole life. Which the Professor had.

"NO!" the amber eyed one shouted, growing frustrated. "I refuse! You can **not** do this!" Then the boy's father gasped slightly and his hand sprung up to his heart and clenched in his blue shirt tightly. He kneeled down panting.

"Father!" the sister cried, she too, was olive colored and had no nose or ears, but somehow was able to be blessed with her father's jet black hair. The green boy turned his gold eyes back up to the scientist.

"It's okay; we'll go willingly to the tank…" the boy compromised. "Just make sure father goes to see the doctors." Eyes behind glasses grew somber.

"You're making the best choice here, Miz," the scientist smiled. "Zag, come along." The boy and girl left their father with a weak smile. Dib couldn't find it in his heart to smile back.

Doctor's Quarter's

"When was the last time you experienced this pain?" a violet haired woman asked, her eyes never leaving the scanner hovering over Dib's frail body. Signs showed he was at a stand still. Not bad… just not good either.

"Two weeks ago…" he mumbled, eyes closed.

"_I don't like it when you're gone…"_

"_It hurts doesn't it?"_

"_Yes… why?"_

"_Simply because I'm not there…"_

"_Egotistical much?"_

"_My best point!"_

"_Growl…"_

"… _Okay, I'm sorry…I'll stay with you for a while tonight…"_

"… _Thank you…"_

"_Anytime…"_

_A smile…_

"Dib!"

Amber eyes snapped open. The woman was resting against the counter, flashing a light into his eyes. Dib winced and sat up, rubbing his face as he did so. "Sorry Gaz," he mumbled. Gaz shook her head to look out the window, white spots dance around outside as their port moved sluggishly through the universe.

"You're getting worse you know," she said with little or no emotion. Dib's gaze had flickered to her quickly, and then with a slight grin he looked out at the scenery with her.

"I'll be fine…" Gaz glowered at the soft words and shot her look back to her brother.

"I hate you!" she hissed and turned back to look at her other patients files. Dib smiled softly toward outside space.

"I love you too Gaz," he whispered. The doctor never paused in her work.

"Why do you wait here..?" her normal apathetic voice was back. Amber eyes closed.

"_Dib-love!"_

"_Ack! Don't sneak up on me!"_

"_Heh heh, I can't help it…"_

"_You're a jerk…"_

"_But I'm you're jerk!"_

"_I was seriously worried..."_

"_Why? I would let no harm come to you."_

"_It was just… you gone for so long… I was afraid they did something to you…"_

"_Oh…"_

"_Oh?! That's all you can say?!"_

"_No…I've just… I don't think anyone has ever worried like that for me before…"_

"_Oh…"_

"_See?"_

"_Shut up…"_

"_Heh… Diblet?"_

"_What?"_

"_I'll always come for you…"_

"…"

"_So don't worry for me, got it?"_

"_You're stupid…"_

"_And you're getting fat!"_

"_Shu-mhp! Grr! Hmmm…"_

_Another smile…_

"Dib…?" Those amber eyes opened slowly, sadly. Gaz quickly twisted her eyes to the floor. Dib's sorrow was a private matter that one should intrude upon…

"I wait because…" a pale hand rested over a beating muscle. "He tells me so…"

Private Quarters- Two Hours After Tank Experiment

"Da-ad!" the girl, Zag, complained. "Miz keeps pulling my hair!" Dib raised his brow as Miz smiled widely, his hands falling behind his back too fast to be innocent.

"Miz…" he warned. Zag stuck out her serpentine tongue at her brother in triumph. "Don't flaunt Zag," Dib said again. Zag sulked for a moment as Miz quietly snickered. Dib smiled at his children when he knew they weren't looking.

_I wonder how long it's been…_

It faded slightly as Dib took out a comb from the portable bag he kept by his bed. "Come on, let's brush out the lose strands," his suggested. Zag's pink eyes lit up as she quickly scrambled to sit in her father's lap. Miz waved his hand dismissively as he plopped down on the floor. The boy watched his sister's hair fall out, littering his father's lap with raven hair.

"I'm sorry the experiment caused this…" Dib said gently as the comb raked over damp hair. Zag shrugged as Miz eye's slit menacingly.

"Well, it was a good thing I only dipped in the ends while grandfather was arguing who would have more conclusive results," she waved off. Miz snorted as he lay back on his elbows.

"Remind me to thank you, O savoir!" he grumbled. Zag glared and squirmed in Dib's lap.

"Well excuse me for saving your pathetic-"

"Miz! Zag!"

Both of the children grew silent. Dib sighed as he put down the comb. He patted the spot next to him. Miz's droppy antenna perked up and he crawled up to sit on the bed next to his father. "I am sorry for all that has happened…" the glasses hid his eyes for a moment.

"Father… please tell us about the one who has your heart…" Dib gaped, surprised by Zag's soft tone. Her pink eyes were swimming a little in a kind of slumber. With a pull of the lips Dib looked up at the dull, shiny ceiling.

"Hmm… I don't really know what to say…" Dib confessed. He tilted his head to see Zag look crestfallen. "But I'll try…" The girl's bowed head shot up excited. Miz stayed still next to his father.

"… _I'm glad…"_

"_Huh?"_

"_I said I'm glad…"_

"_Glad about what?"_

"_Glad that it was fake…"_

"…"

"_Because from the lie… came a truth I don't want to live without."_

"… _Me too…"_

"_Hey Dib-baby…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_You think we can live on our own?"_

"_No."_

"_No?"_

"_We'll be living with each other…"_

"_Heh heh… Yes… Yes I suppose so…"_

_There is that smile…_

"The one who has my heart is my everything…" Dib whispered. Zag rested her head on his shoulder. "He gave me my purpose… and you two…" He rested his dark head on top of his daughters, while rubbing Miz's green skull. Miz looked hotly at the ground, not responding to the touch. "You're just like 'im Miz…" The boy ticked the slightest bit.

Just then there was a slight hum and the doors opened slightly to see Professor Membrane stick his head in. "Miz, Zag, it's time for you to sleep," he announced. Zag frowned, but nodded all the same. Miz glanced up, giving the barest signs of compliance.

"G'night Father," Zag said, pecking his pale cheek before getting off his lap. Dib hugged her before she hoped down, Miz following in complete dead silence. He looked to his father for a moment. Miz managed to give him a brief smile.

"Sleep well Miz," Dib said. And then the metallic doors were closed.

Meanwhile…

_There was a sadistic scrape of metal against flesh._

_**Warning! Prisoner escape! Sector 3 has been breached! Repeat…**_

_The words did not register, nothing did. Just the pain… the ripping pain…A possession stolen… promises broken… The penalty for meddling… Is death._

"_You will give me the coordinates, AND your fastest, biggest ship possible!" the voice was dark, primeval and bloodthirsty. Crimson eyes, much like the blood of his human, were narrowed threateningly._

_**Prisoner escape!**_

_A cry pierced the air, and a snap of shattering skulls and blasts of fierce electricity crackled around the monster figure. "Anything you desire!"_

"_Anything?" The crimson glinted dangerously._

"_Anything!" Azure blood leaked from a jade mouth._

"_I desire what you've stolen!" _

_That smile in the darkening eyes…_

A pair of crimson eyes opened in an instant. In the blackness of a sealed room, a tall figure sat up, holding his throbbing forehead. "Just my memories again…" he assured.

"_Doo doo doo doo… A cloud hangs over…"_

"_Mmm… Morning Dibby…"_

"_More like afternoon!"_

"_He, well, what can I say? I was tired after last night's… activities."_

"_J-Jerk!"_

"_Yes, I believed you mentioned some thing like that last night."_

"_Oh shut up…"_

"_What were you singing?"_

"_What?"_

"_Before… What were you singing before?"_

"_Oh… It's a song about this guy… and I guess he's in love with this girl who's lonely… I'm not really sure actually because it almost sounds like she held back form him for some reason…"_

"_Ah…Hmm… Ironic…"_

"_Ironic? How so?"_

"_It's almost like us…"_

"_Well, you haven't heard the song…"_

"_Sing it to me then!"_

"_What?!"_

"_Sing. It. To. Me!"_

"_No way!"_

"_Come on! Why not?!"_

"_B-Because I can't sing!"_

"_Says who?"_

"_I don't know…"_

"_Please..?"_

"_Hmmh, you're so persistent…"_

"_Couldn't have gotten you any other way!"_

"_Hmm… Maaaybe…But you still… I've always been yours…"_

"…"

"_What?! Stop staring! You're making me blu-mmhp!"_

"…"

"_-Pant- Must you always kiss me halfway through speaking to you?"_

"_You won't shut up any other w-mmhhh…"_

"_Yeah, yeah…"_

_Smiling…_

"Why won't the memories stop?" the figure laid back down into his bed, the sheets floating over his body. A sudden release of air noted him to the doors opening and spilling in fluorescent lights from outside.

"Master!" Blue eyes turned red at a salute to the person wrapped up in the covers. "Approaching target in exactly one hour!" The person jolted up immediately. Skin the color of emerald could be seen as the light fell over it.

"Excellent! Set autopilot and ready the pod!" The eyes of blood faded slightly. _I'll be there shortly… just wait a little while longer…_

Private Quarters of Dib Membrane

The image was blurry. Green and blurry. "Glasses…" he croaked. A pair of four fingered hands held up the appendages to Dib's face. His vision only worsened.

Miz stood banging his fist against the door in anger. So far it had been exactly two hours since the power had been shut off, and his father had been holed up in this damn cell. No one would answer any of his questions while Zag sat teary-eyed by her father.

"WHY?! LET HIM OUT! HE'S GETTING WORSE!" Miz was yelling, cursing, doing anything that relieved his fury. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

"Miz…" Miz antenna flicked upwards. He turned back to his father, sweating on his bed, despite his body temperature dropping lower than 98.6 degrees. "Come here…"

"Father!" the olive boy gasped and dove into his father's chest. Dib chuckled as he let his hand rub circles on his son's tiny back. As Miz lay there, he could here the sounds of screams. He registered all the critical reverberation of crushing bones, and splattering blood. His golden eyes shined in the dim room. The connected with Zag's pink orbs. Both nodded at the same time.

It was up to them to protect their father. Miz rose confidently, taking the time to brush his mouth against his father's temple. Zag fluidly stood her eyes calculating. "I'll take behind the door," she stated.

"That leaves the top corner for me," Miz said, voice icing over as the sound of body hitting metal echoed from the hallway, just beyond the steel doors. A painful shriek escaped from outside. Then…

There was the _Bang_! of a laser-blasted reinforced metal being burst open. A bloody light seeped in through the debris of rusting doors. A tall, emerald creature stood. The crimson eyes were shining as his boot crunched on the scattered traces of what was once the cell. His antennae shot up as the sound of harsh breathing filled the room. He meant to run to the ill figure lying in the bed, but his senses also picked up two more entities in the room.

Reflexively, his arms came up to block a swift kick toward his face. Pink eyes widened in shock, the crimson-eyed creature twisted his claw around the small leg, and spun around to launch the poor child at the second presence. With a gasp, the olive boy caught his sister. In rage the girl scuttled out of the hold and the boy let go. The defense pose slackened from the tall alien when his gaze landed on the children.

"No…" he whispered, blood eyes wide. Miz stood as tall as he could and next to him Zag was tense. "This has to be a trick…" the alien's claw twitched, and Miz readied himself for attack with his sister fuming beside him.

"I'm afraid not, Zim," a voice said, the figure wavering in the dust. At the sound of his name, Zim twirled to the silhouette of a man walking in from the wreckage he caused. As soon as he saw the face, Zim was thrust up by his spider legs.

"Dwicky!" he snarled. Dwicky just smiled.

"It has been a long time…" he greeted. Zim could feel his sharp teeth grit, causing a slight spark on the tip of his forked tongue.

"Why you bast-"

"Ah, ah!" he reprimanded, waggling his finger. "Not in front of the children." Zim shrank back slightly. Miz and Zag stood confused. Dwicky kindly threw them a smile. "Oh, I suppose I should call in some back up." Zim growled as Dwicky reached into his pocket to pull out a communicator.

Just as he was about to press a button, the dust was cut in half by the swing of a blacked pipe. The man was hit and fell to the floor with a nauseating thud. Zim's spider legs clanked on the floor as he turned to see the newcomer. A violet haired doctor was leaning against the wall. "I don't think so," Gaz wheezed out.

"Auntie Gaz!" Zag shouted and quickly rushed to the woman as she slipped to the floor. "You're injured!" the girl looked a little overwhelmed as her aunt leaked out a small sample of something scarlet from above her collar bone.

Zim's legs retreated back into his PAK. Miz stare flew back and forth between his aunt and this alien apparently named Zim. "What's going on here?" Zim questioned, his voice losing it's vehemence from before. Gaz glanced up, holding her wound tightly.

"They lied to you, to us… to him," Gaz nodded to the sleeping Dib. Zim's gaze followed to behind him. The blood eyes rushed back to Gaz.

"They said… they had died…" Zim's voice was hollow and could barely be heard over the sirens of the port. Gaz calmly nodded.

"We were told… they had killed you too," Gaz admitted. Zim had coiled away as blinking red lights illuminated the area. Zag tried to hush her aunt but the woman shook her head, letting her bob cut fly about. Miz made a slight noise as Zim stepped toward his father. "Don't!" Gaz winced. Miz paused, gold orbs taking the in the sight before him

Zim's naked claw had raked over the perspiring forehead. There was a small wisp of smoke that arose from his skin. The slight burn made him close his eyes and for a moment he knew this was not just a memory…

"_What should we name it?"_

"_ZIM JR!"_

"…"

"_What?"_

"_What if it's a girl?"_

"_Dib Jr?"_

"_Okay, how about reframing from naming it Jr?"_

"… _I don't know… How will anyone ever know it's my smeet?"_

"_Hmm…Then why don't we name it… Miz?"_

"_Miz?"_

"_It's your name spelled backwards."_

"_Miz… Miz, Smeet of Zim, the Mighty Invader! Yeah! I like it!"_

"_I thought you would…"_

"_Hmm… yeah… But what if we have two? Can we name one of them Zim Jr?"_

"_Are you implying I'm fat?!"_

"… _Maybe…"_

"_GROWL!"_

"_Ow! I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"_

"_Jerk…"_

"_Heheh, I'm sorry…"_

"_Hmph!"_

"_Really I am!"_

"_Still a jerk…"_

"_... Dib-love…You're beautiful…"_

"_Shuddup…"_

"_No… I'm serious… You are."_

"…"

"_Hmm… My beautiful Diblet…"_

"… _Zag."_

"_Huh?"_

"_If we have a girl, we'll name her Zag… Gaz backwards."_

"_Hahaha! Alright, Miz and Zag. Our children…"_

"_Our smeet…"_

"_Mmmm…"_

_The smile once more…_

"You're late…" a soft voice sighed as the cold, green claws began to caress sweating flesh. Zim felt a slight smirk as Dib opened his amber eyes. _He's going to be alright…_

"My apologizes Dib-baby," Zim murmured as he scooped up the thin human. Miz was flabbergasted and couldn't find the will to move. Just as he was about to run to his father the cock of a gun resounded in the cell. Zim's eyes contracted to behind the cell.

Dwicky stood up, his brow gushing sticky blood down his coat. "Stop right where you are!" he orders even though no one moved an inch. "I'll shoot!" His eyes were cloudy due to the blow to the cranium. Zim scoffed and cradled Dib to his chest as he spun back to the crazed man.

"You won't shoot," Zim challenged, feet stepping forward. Dwicky had stepped back, nearly tripping over fallen panels from the roof. "I should kill for even thinking it though…" Zim's other foot shot forward suddenly, moving closer to the frenzied man. Dwicky fingers click back the safety. Gaz's honey eyes darted toward the exit the man was blocking. With an intake of breath she leapt up, charging straight forward.

An explosion seemed to make the entire ship tremble. The echo was more maddening than the actual gunshot. Gaz never made a sound though; the blood simply cascaded around for a moment as if gravity had disappeared. But in an instant, time caught up and the red liquid splashed in a disgusting spray of ovals. Dwicky made a slight screech and he fumbled with the gun. Gaz scowled and simply decked him across the jaw.

"RUN!" she roared over the newly awakening cries of the sirens. Zim stepped back as the vicious command tumbled in his brain. Dib's shocked body pulled flush against his own flung him back to the situation. With a grateful grunt, he nodded pointedly. Zag shook her head, tears soaring from her eyes. "GO ZAG! TAKE CARE OF THEM!" Gaz yelled as she pushed Dwicky to the floor. He tried to wrench away but she kicked him in the chest. "FOR ME! DO IT FOR ME!" Her honey eyes locked with pink…

Zag grabbed her brother and pulled his arm following out the Zim character toward the escape shuttles, but his eyes never leaving his aunt as she wickedly shoved her boot into the man's windpipe. Then they had turned and could see no more of Gaz…

"I h-hope you're- ACK- happy!" Dwicky coughed out. Gaz merely smirked maliciously, her eyes huge and pupils' dilated in a sinister sort of glee.

"Me?" she asked, tone cracking. "Never! I only hate!" Her boot shoved harder and Dwicky stared at her with watering orbs. Blood vessels were popping from the pressure and a blue color grew on his face. There was a crack and Gaz lifted her boot with tender eyes hidden under lilac hair. A gurgling came from the man under her and he scraped at his throat. "But I'll let you know a secret Mr. Dwicky," her hushed voice was brilliant in Dwicky's murky hearing. "I-"

And then there was a detonation again.

Gaz's body arched and she was thrown back in the air before plummeting to the ground and skipping over twisted metal. The scarlet… deep, bold scarlet blood, was **everywhere.** Professor Membrane cautiously tip toed around the chunks of steel scattering the floor.He loomed over his daughter, watching those honey eyes dim to a faint yellow. "Oh Gaz… Do you know what you've done?" he inquired with his weapon still smoking.

Gaz seemed to smile up at him.

"I don't suppose you have…" he whispered as he bent down to her, wiping the congealed blood from off her temple. "You were supposed to be the sane one…" There was the marching of feet over the messy cell and hallways. Membrane straightened back up and started to walk away when a soldier stopped him.

"Professor! The medic says he can save both Dwicky and your daughter," he reported, pointing over to the people in white with Red Cross armbands. The Professor merely nodded. As he was going back toward the entrance to the main port bay the soldier called out once more, "Sir?! What do we say happened here?!" Professor Membrane halted and cocked his head to the side.

"Invader Zim." And with that, he disappeared into the chaos of black uniformed soldiers, his white coat swaying like a ghost. The solder lifted the glazy eyed Gaz on a stretcher, sticking an IV into her vein. Her red caked lips mouthed words to something far away.

_My secret, Dad, is that I finally realize what love is…_

Irken Ship-Zim 

Miz was glaring at the little blue robot that was happily bouncing on him. Zag parked next to him, emotionless. Zim had narrowed his eyes to practical slits. Dib was curled up in his lap, health increasing considerably. His gloved claw was threading over his scythe-like hair. Miz's eye twitched and finally he stood up, shoving the robot in process.

"Owwwwwwwwwieee-u!" it cried and rolled to hide behind the distant Zag. Zim raised a non-existent brow. Dib sleepily glanced up to see his child glaring at the green alien.

"Alright, just who the hell are you, and what do you want with my father?!" Miz demanded. Dib's spectacled orbs grew a little disappointed. Zim remained stoic.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Dib asked. Miz felt his head shake a no. Zag's pink eyes focused when she glimpsed that fond look in her father's eyes. A memory again…

"_Am I a mommy?"_

"_A what?"_

"_A mommy! I'm carrying a baby!"_

"_Err… I don't think so…"_

"_Then what will it call me?"_

"_Um… father I guess."_

"_Then are you the mom?"_

"_Uh… no…"_

"_Then what will the baby call you?"_

"_Well… on Irk… I'd be traditionally known as the dona."_

"_Dona?"_

"_Yep, dona."_

"_Meaning…?"_

"_Um… in human terms… sperm donor."_

"_Oh…"_

"_You asked."_

"_Heh, I did, didn't I? Well, that settles it then."_

"…"

"_You're the dona…"_

"_Dona… I'm going to be a dona…"_

_The last smile._

"He's… your dona," Dib explained, glancing up to Zim. His crimson eyes widened, but settled back down. Miz stepped back in surprise. The robot squeaked joyfully on the floor at the sweet couple.

"Dona…?" Miz repeated, shocked. Zag carefully walked forward and stared up at the tall Irken. She nodded after a long, scrutinizing scan with her short, black hair moving up and down. Miz looked at her, his face hardening.

"Yes… You're the one that has father's heart…" she understood. Her pink eyes flooded and she draped herself over her parents, sobbing. Dib sighed as he hugged her and Zim leaned back a little, strangely relieved. But he spied up and saw the golden eyes watch intensely while fading off into morbid thoughts...

Unfortunately there was nothing more to do for the moment. It would have to wait until later…

**A/N: **IMPORTANT: I don't know whether to continue this fic or not. I will leave it up for one week. If I have positive reviews in that time, then I will finish the story.


	2. The Names We Cry

**A/N: **I was surprised that I got such wonderful reviews. So I have decided I'll continue. Oh and by the way, let me explain Zim's new title!

Dona (pronounced Doe-nah) not Donna as in That 70's show. Sorry if that confused anyone. But it's a term I took from the English word Donor because I wanted a truly original word used as father, and not another language's. Unfortunately I don't ever recall any Irken words in the show… so I made one up.

I didn't want to use Dono, because that sounds really Japanese. And I think in Japanese it does mean miss. Not entirely sure on that one, but I liked the way Dona rolls off the tongue too. Dona… Hmm… Dona… YAY!

**Warning:** Contains… lots of crap really… like AlienxBoy mating that results in weirdness… compared to that everything is just peachy.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, don't own… But I like to dream sometimes….

**Summary: **A story within a story… Love… what is it truly? Can it survive time and curses…? Zim and Dib have been wronged with secrets and promises must be broken or kept… What is happening? The only way to find out is to read…

**Remember:**

"Speech"

_Thoughts/Memories_

Time Breaks

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Two- **The Names We Cry

_There was a sunset… Beautiful… All colored in orange and pink… There stood a figure, blacking out the last rays of light. There was the crunch of leaves under boots._

"_I thought I would find you here…" the booted-figure said. The other one didn't even turn toward the new arrival. "You always come here when you feel like pouting."_

"_I'm NOT pouting!"_

_The outburst was unexpected. A harsh panting could be heard through the wind rattling the leaves. Pale hands scrubbed over reddened orbs. The tall figure watched with keen eyes. "So all humans are this easily broken?"_

"_I'm not broken!" the pale one spun around with clenched fists._

"_No, you're merely crazy," the emerald being pointed out with a smirk. The human flinched. It caused the taller figure to scowl. It stalked forward and tilted the human's head to look up at him. Being taller than his enemies was always a plus. "You give up too easily."_

_That comment rightfully earned him a stinging smack across the green cheek._

"_Why the hell are you here?! Why do you keep following me like this?!" the angry voice made the pale cheeks flush. Fake grey eyes were pinned to the swelling lips._

"_Because…No one gets to hurt you…" A gloved claw swiftly captured the human's chin once more. Eyes behind glasses grew wide at the close proximity of an emerald face. "No one but me…"_

_The first kiss against the background of a dark growing sky painted in the color of dried blood._

Irken Ship-Zim

The ship was big. It was almost like Last Port, but with many differences. There were no scientists there to observe and test Miz. He freely walked down the huge corridors that led to the main station where the cock pit was. Miz's footsteps echoed every time his shoes slapped on the meticulously clean floor, so he knew the only person was Zim at this whole station. It was obviously a self-sustained living environment.

There was a galley filled with foods to last an extremely long time. There were some living quarters and few labs were Zim was obviously testing something (Perhaps building a better robot to maintain this place when he couldn't). While almost enjoying the freedom of not been monitored, Miz had wandered straight to a small cove, gasping as his feet landed on something squishy.

"W-What is this place?" the boy asked, eyes glazing over the strange room. It was a little warmer than it was in the rest of the ship. But it was covered in many strange…things. Flora… trees… Beautiful things… There was a small fountain in the middle, streaming something cool down the marble decorations. The walls were paneled in strange green blocks, and a huge glass window loomed over the place, letting you have a gorgeous vision of the stars. To say it was beautiful would have been an understatement.

"OH! OH! I KNOW!" something squeaked, referring to Miz's earlier question. Miz jumped about half a foot in the air at the shrill voice that echoed in the peaceful room with out warning. He spun around to find the annoying robot from before.

"Oh… it's just you…" Miz said, mainly to himself. The silver and blue thing did a slight little dance as he pranced in beside Miz. The olive child looked around not knowing what to call these things. "What is all this… stuff?" The little android bounced happily.

"Master calls it a garden!" it squealed. Miz only nodded in response.

"_What was your favorite part of Earth, Father?" the olive child had questioned one day out of the blue. Dib had not been listening that well and replied on automatic since he was attending to his children's injuries from their current experiment._

"_The garden where I received my first ever kiss." _

_Miz didn't respond for a moment. Dib paused in his movements of wrapping Zag's newest burn. Finally, gold eyes turned up curiously. "Was the kiss you got from the person who made us?" At that young of an age, Miz wasn't hostile in his thinking. Dib only laughed nervously, tugging at his scythe hair._

"_I've never kissed anyone else Miz," the father replied. Zag, starting to become interested, tilted her head in question._

"_But you've kissed us on the cheeks before we go to bed sometimes," she pointed out. Dib mentally groaned. His face was starting to blush._

"_Well… the kiss I was speaking of is when two people, who are in love, kiss with their mouths together… It's a little complicated…" Dib started to explain awkwardly. Miz began to snicker under his hand. _

"_Father was in love!" the young hybrid taunted. Dib chuckled to himself at his son's naivety and childishness. Perhaps they wouldn't have to have **that** talk tonight after all._

"_Yes… I was in love. And still very much am…" Dib lowered his head for a moment, feeling the beat of his heart. It felt so sober and stretched out. But somewhere, deep down in its hot center, he knew the pull of Zim kept tugging him through the next day…_

_Miz grew silent, regarding his father secretly. Zag swung her band-aid covered leg lazily. "You can be so stupid Miz…" his sister grumbled. Miz's gaze snapped up and he opened his mouth to insult her, but Dib interrupted them before it got too ugly._

"_Zag, you'd better not pick up you Aunt's habits of making fun of others," he warned. Zag huffed, crossing her arms over her small chest._

"_Well he is!" Zag continued. Dib gave her a stern look. Zag shrank back slightly. "Okay… I'm sorry Miz…" she mumbled. The father only sighed and shooed them off to bed. Miz and Zag trekked out in deep thought._

"_Tell me why you say I'm an idiot," Miz demanded. Zag raised a nonexistent eyebrow._

"_I didn't call you an idiot. I just said you're stupid," she corrected. Miz glowered at his sister. Zag sighed as she ended up looking down the hallways to make sure they were alone. Of course there was no one in sight, but that didn't mean there weren't cameras anywhere. Finally Zag turned back to her brother. "Miz… Haven't you wondered why we are here?" the girl asked._

"_Well, father said--" he started but Zag held up her hand. _

"_I know he says that we're special and that we're helping a lost cause… But I meant… **why** we're here," she whispered lowly. Miz shook his head. Zag threw him a somber look. "Miz… father and an Irken fell in love… and we're the result."_

_Miz only looked at his sister blankly asking, "What are you getting at?"_

"_Oh for Pete's—" Zag took in a deep breath. Finally she shook her head. "Listen… just know that father is in a really delicate state… okay?" Miz was shocked at the pleading tone in his sister's voice. Her pink eyes seemed so sad, the boy could only nod._

Irken Ship, Hospital Wing

"You're doing better…" the voice was proud, and the gloved claw lay against the human's heart carefully. Dib could only smile, his hand attentively fingered over the one on his heart. Zag sat curled up in a chair watching the scene in an awe almost as Zim tightly held onto Dib's fingers.

"Um… Dona…" Zag tried her voice very small in such a big room. Zim glanced up lightly; not wanting to frighten her but Zag was staring intently at the floor. "I… um… It's only… Will he ever get worse…?" Zim blinked and Dib sat up easily and planted his feet on the ground. Zim stared at him, silently asking what he should do. Dib's expressive eyes told him to tell her the truth.

"Well," Zim sighed. "His system took a shock, plus over such a time, his body is worn down… But, now that he's back in my care… your father will be fine." Zag wiped away a tear before it could burn her. With a slight gasp she hugged her knees.

"G-Good!" she stuttered. Dib stood up and went over to his daughter, lifting up her chin as he did so. She squeezed her eyes tight while her father brushed away her bangs. "Miz and I- We- We thought you were doomed for a long time!" the girl confessed. Dib said nothing as she leapt into his chest, hoping to listen to his heart beat healthy for the first time in her life.

Zim leaned against his examining table, not knowing what he could do…

"MASTEH!" the little robot screeched, running in with a tailing Miz not that far behind. Zag made a slight squeak and she fell out of her father's embrace. Zim turned annoyed to the little blue metal piece of scrap.

"WHAT GIR?!" he growled as the thing latched on to his legs. Dib laughed loudly as the alien was thrown off balance as something else zoomed in and knocked Zim on the head. "GAH! MINIMOOSE!" Zag sat a little stunned, Miz seemed to smile evilly, holding onto his own bumped head. The blasted flying… thing had come in and attacked the boy in the garden, almost throwing him into the fountain.

"Glad to see nothing has changed," Dib said as the alien wrestled on the floor with his unmanageable androids. Zim glared while Dib stuck out his tongue.

"Don't look so smug human…" he grumbled as he managed to kick Gir into a corner, where he proceeded to roll around happily. Minimoose clung to his shoulder; Zim simply left it, knowing it would be no use trying to pry it off. Miz scowled as he walked over to his father, holding his arm to his side.

"Father," Miz interrupted. Dib looked down to see his son holding his arm. A purple colored substance seeping between four fingers.

"Miz! What happened to your arm?" Dib exclaimed, bending down to get a good look. Miz sighed and pulled away carefully. Zag walked up to also see her sibling.

"Dad, it's just a burn. I already torn the skin off before it could corrode," he sourly said. Dib straightened a little. Miz sighed and continued, "That's what I came in here for. I just need some solve and a band-aid." Zim had paused to see the interaction, his invader mind already running its normal questioning nature.

"How did you get a burn?" he asked. Miz turned to him indolently. Zim was taken aback but the cold nature in his child. For a moment a small flicker of something went off in Zim's heart at the knowledge these were _his_ children. _His and Dib's._

"Minimoose- as I'm assuming that monstrosity is called- hit me, and I landed in your fountain… which leads me to wonder what an Irken is doing with water and Earthen plant life…" Miz trailed off, turning back to his father. Dib had wide eyes as Miz brushed past him to grab the open drawer behind his father which held supplies for small aches and pains. "I'll be exploring some more." With a wave over his shoulder, Miz began bandaging his burn, leaving rudely through the open passage way.

Zag growled, causing both adults to gape at her in surprise. "That moron! What is his problem now?!" the daughter questioned under her breath. "Miz- wait up!" she called as she began to move her legs toward the doorway. Zim stepped forward without realizing.

"Hey!" he shouted out. Zag halted for a moment, turning back to her Dona. Zim made a slight noise at her but quickly shook his head to rid the fuzziness from it. "If you get lost just press the nearest red button on the wall and it'll contact whoever is closer to you."

"Cool," Zag said with a grin. Quickly she flounced out to go find her brother. Zim took a breath in and seemed to visibly relax. Dib had a small smile on. He walked forward and came to rest right into the alien's torso. Zim looked down with a serious expression. His arms came around and held tightly to his human. Zim antennae collapsed on his head in a more relaxed position as Dib shook a little.

"It hurt a lot… How much I missed you," the human whispered. Zim buried his emerald face into the raven hair. He breathed in the scent of Dib. Taking note how it changed over such a long time. He knew of the brine and blood spilled in an instant. There was a constriction on Zim's heart… if an Irken had one.

"I should have killed them all!" Zim hissed mainly to himself. Dib shook his head, feeling his fingers getting caught along the fabric of Zim's faded red shirt.

"It would have done you no good," Dib mumbled. Zim pulled back the human carefully. His crimson eyes searched over the thin body, momentarily pausing to stare at the tired amber eyes. Zim kept his face as morbid as possible.

"Still… I don't feel like justice was served," Zim admitted. With a sigh, the alien leaned forward, connecting their foreheads together. "I killed them you know… My Tallest…" Dib leaned a little closer.

"You…?"

"For meddling…" Zim voice was darker now. His eyes glittered cruelly. As always, the raven was entranced.

"But I still don't…" he breathed out. The Irken closed his eyes, pushing toward the soft lips belonging to the male beneath him. It was slow… Everything was suspended and for a moment, nothing was significant outside their world. But Zim stepped back before it got too heated, leaving Dib to whimper quietly. "Zim…?"

"I've told you before… No one hurts my Diblet," Zim smirked as he tugged on the gravity defying hair. "No one but me that is!"

Dib rolled his eyes good naturedly.

With Miz and Zag

"Stupid…" Zag cursed as she carefully wrapped up her brother's wound. Miz was silent, letting her rant. Otherwise, he would probably fuber up his bandage job. "For the love of… MIZ ARE YOU LISTENING?!" Miz jumped and glared at his sister.

"Yeah, I'm stupid, I heard," he muttered. Zag sighed, rubbing her eyes. The squeaking Minimoose hovered over her head. Miz glared at that thing too.

"You don't have to be so angry…" Zag said. Miz crossed his arms, turning to look somewhere other than the girl. "We're no longer on Last Port. So there are no more experiments. And now, Father will get better."

"I'm hungry," Miz blurted out. He began to walk down the hallway. Zag slapped her forehead in frustration. She padded along beside her brother. It was then that Minimoose began squeaking erratically. Zag turned to see what the problem was. Immediately she let out a scream. Miz spun back and gasped as well…

"_Zim!" an angry voice rose over the debris of a demolished voot cruiser. "What the hell!" A head of dark hair popped up, his brow cut and glasses askew. The alien gave a nervous laugh as he dodged a flying fist._

"_Listen human," he said, avoiding the punches with ease. "I warned you about what would happen when you flew Tak's ship." Dib growled and launched forward Zim made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine, but he would forever deny it._

"_You were the one who uploaded the virus!" the human's face was flushed. Zim paused for a moment to look at the human's adorable expression._

"_You know you're cute when you're mad?" he asked. Dib was startled and stopped trying to hit the green one in front of him._

"_I'm what?" Dib questioned, voice raising an octave. Zim grinned widely. _

"_Undeniably cute!" _

_Dib was then taken by surprise again, receiving a kiss on the cheek. _

"_Next time you want to fly, come to my place!" Zim winked before using his spider legs to scurry away into the distance. Dib's face turned a very lovely shade of ruby. After five minutes the human's mind rebooted and the words sunk in._

"_WHAT?!"_

Irken Ship- Zim- Hospital Wing

Dib was lying down, resting his eyes as weird memories drifted in and out of his brain. His last one made him chuckle quietly. Zim turned away from his screen, tilting his head back to look at the Dib. "What's so funny?" he inquired.

"Just a memory…" Dib murmured as he snuggled deep into his alien-scented blanket.

"LIES!" Zim exclaimed. Dib covered his ears. The emerald being calmed down and went back to his screen, a feeling not sitting right in his gut. "This is so strange…" he spoke to himself. With a click or two of brightly colored buttons the screen clicked back to a separate part of the ship. "Everything seems fine… but why do I feel…"

Suddenly Dib gasped. The invader quickly shot up and caught the human as he jerked forward. Zim helplessly held onto the bespectacled male's shoulders as Dib fisted his shirt where his heart was. "Something's wrong…" Dib whispered. Then a dread filled both their bodies. "It's Zag!"

Zim quickly slammed his fist against a red button on the wall. In an instant a screen flickered on in front of them, showing them the galley. Miz was crouched behind a counter, trying to keep from getting blasted by a laser gun. Zim pressed the button again and the hologram disappeared. "Stay here!" Zim commanded as he laid Dib back down.

"But—"

"No! Stay, I'll handle it," the alien's tone was firm so Dib had to nod in defeat. Zim grimly turned and sprinted out the door and down the hallways. Dib then sighed and uncrossed his fingers from behind his back.

"Computer!" the human barked out. "Locate the nearest air dock that leads to the kitchens!"

The Kitchens

Miz felt like throwing things. Hard, sharp things. _If only I paid more attention!_ He jumped as a blast sent pots and pans skidding around him. The olive boy jumped over a pan, another shot whizzed right past his hand. The closeness made him lose balance and go tumbling among the shining items around him.

The clank of metal clashing against metal alerted him to the presence of the hostile being in the room. With a grunt, Miz heaved himself up and picked up a skillet. He swung it around. The thick sound of flesh meeting steel made him gag. "Give me back my sister!" he yelled.

He pulled back to smack the creature again, but the gloved claws ripped the would-be weapon out of his grip. "Why you little—" the classy voice was cut off as Zag began to beat furiously against the metallic legs holding her hostage. "Cut it out!" the enemy demanded. Zag soon began to kick.

"Let me go, you Irken Slime!" she shrieked. The "Irken Slime" glowered as she pulled out another meaner looking weapon. Zag gasped as it was pointed directly at her. Miz straightened his spine, ready to leap at her if necessary.

Lucky for them, an emerald blur rushed past, slicing off the spider leg with his own; it let Zag fall safely into her Dona's arms. Miz stepped back in shock and the female Irken also went slack in her furry.

"Now Zag," said a boastful voice. "As courageous as it is to insult your opponent in the face of danger; try and remember that you are also part Irken. Otherwise, you'll end up like your father, and as cute as he is, he's simply human." Zag brought her pink orbs up toward a more narrowed, darker pair hued in blood.

"Still rambling nonsense, I see," the Irken said, weapon lowered, but not completely faced away from Zim. Zim cautiously put down his daughter, pushing her behind him.

"Tak, haven't seen you in a long time," Zim curtly greeted. Tak ignored it like always.

"I didn't think it was possible," she said airily looking about. "But you have gotten so much worse since the last time I saw you." Zim chose to look dubious.

"Just tell me why you've come," he ordered. Tak's antennae twitched at the gruff demand.

"How dare you…" she growled. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "As much as I hate you- no loath is probably a better word- I have come to repay your favor."

Miz watched as the female, he was guessing she was named Tak, tugged down a corner of her jacket, showing a faded scar that disfigured her shoulder. It made the boy gasp and stumble over a few crushed plates under his feet. Zim stood, expression not changing. Tak drew up her jacket again, covering the horrid scar.

"You're a wanted criminal, Zim," her voice broke the eerily silence like a boom. "They don't know how you did it. Fixed up you PAK I mean. But… the new Tallest are afraid. .. And they **will** come after you."

"Let them!" Zim snarled. Zag felt her knees tremble and she clutched on to the fabric of Zim's outfit. The pull of tiny fingers made him settle down some. Tak watched with uninterested purple eyes.

"That wasn't what I meant," Tak informed. "You're too precious to the Armada to be dead."

"Damn the Armada!" the Irken roared. "They were the ones who abandoned me! Wasn't it you who told me that too?! After they lied, they taunted, they _tortured me_, why would I go back to them?!" Tak's gun flew up and pointed straight at Zim's head.

"Calm down," she warned in a frighteningly steady voice. Zim scoffed, spider leg's unfurling behind him. Zag fell back and on to the floor. Miz quickly rushed to her aide. Together they slid behind a counter for safety.

"Why won't they let me go Tak?" he growled. Tak shook her head. Zim flexed his claws.

**_Prisoner escape! Sector 5 is-GAK!_**

_Explosions surrounded around the buildings. The prisoner just zipped in and out of the range of fire. The color of azure blood littered the entire Massive Ship. It would only be a few more moments before he could enter the port bay and leave…_

"_Stop right where you are Zim!"_

_The voice caused the emerald prisoner to hesitate and swivel back to the opponent holding a hand cannon aimed directly at his vital areas. The crimson eyes were treacherous, showing death. _

"_You're in the way…" the tone could have almost been accusing if there wasn't a hint of wonder in it._

"_I'm not afraid of death Zim," the female answered, gravely turning off the safety. The click made Zim's antennae shiver. "You've just **murdered**." _

"_So have they," was the swift reply. _

"_It was for the best," a sorrowful tone echoed around the flashing pod bay._

"_Do you want to see, **Tak**?" there was the sound of paper being unscrambled. Pictures, depressing and terrifying, fluttered to the floor. Tak bit back bile as it rushed up her larynx. "That's all I have left they said…" glinting crimson eyes "And that was a lie."_

"_There has to be some kind of misunderstanding—"_

"_There is **none**! You said so before remember?! They lied! So they've died! And now, I'm going to get what was stolen from me…" The emerald Irken voice grew softer. Tak swallowed as she regained her balance._

"_Believe me, I pity you, but I won't let you get away!" Tak cried as she squeezed the triggered. But Zim was too fast for her this time, he moved. She shot again with dead set eyes. "I promise, you won—" _

_A pain filled scream cut off the rest of her words._

_The prisoner's claw dug deeply in her shoulder, fanning out to tear the skin. Jade flesh slapped against the sterile linoleum flooring. Rivets of blue fluids twisted around the claw embedded inside the female. Tak's eyes were wide and glazed. Her digits twitched and the laser fell with a dull thud. Zim chuckled to himself._

"_Consider this a favor…" his mouth breathed over her wound as he closed his hand into a fist. "You can live another day to fulfill your promise." In a slow wrench, his claw came out, flinging tendons across the bay. Tak's mouth opened and a high pitched cry pushed out of her chest._

_The stinging, knife like pain, made her fall to her knees, clutching her injury by instinct. Her breathing went uncontrolled and shallow. Zim moved back, pivoting away from the other Irken. He glided to the guidance system and punched in numbers to open the doors so he could get his new ship. _

_Tak, all the while, watched with blurry vision, vowing to return Zim's favor one day._

…

"Looks like I can return the favor in tenfold," Tak smiled as she began to squeeze the trigger. Zim meant to move out of the way, and probably could have too, but the sudden battle cry of a human made them both jump. Out of the air dock, fell Dib, right on top of Tak.

Tak let out a yelp of astonishment, smacking her cranium on the floor. Both had landed in a heap of arms and legs on top of silverware. Dib groaned as he rolled off of her and onto a pan. Zim let his barrier down as he rushed over to try and assist Dibby. "Didn't I tell you to stay?!" Zim scolded as he picked up the human, who kicked at a defenseless cooking instrument on the ground.

"Yes," Dib answered honestly, eyes glancing around.

"Then why didn't you stay?" Zim interrogated with hands up in the air.

"Crossed my fingers," Dib simply explained by crossing and uncrossing his fingers. Zim glowered as Dib quickly scampered away from him once he spotted his children. Zag cried out and quickly bounded into his arms. Miz jogged up and latched onto Dib's midsection. Zim let out a breath as he observed their wellbeing intact.

Then he twisted back to the unconscious female Irken in his kitchen. "GIR!" he shouted through his communicator. "Come here and take of this." Gir saluted his master and toddled off the screen. Dib turned to the alien relieved.

"I think I should put them to bed…" Dib spoke softly. Zim nodded and watched his human smile as he walked out with the kids. Then Zim rubbed his head as it ached. Gir strolled in carrying a piggy plushie and a wheelbarrow.

The little robot sang irritatingly as he loaded Tak up. Zim shuffled out with Gir and they both put her back into her ship, Gir throwing in the piggy as well.

Zim had set coordinates to some distant planet and closed the door. He leaned against the door as it shut, exhausted not only physically but mentally. "Why can't they just leave me alone…?" Zim thought out loud while massaging his temples. "What have I done wrong?"

"Nothing master," the little blue android answered while plopping down next to Zim. "You just fell in love!" Zim looked up to see Gir shining giddily. With a sigh, Zim pet it him on the head. The thing let out a low purr.

"Thank you, Gir…" he mumbled

Miz and Zag's Bedroom

Zag was curled up, and almost dozed off. But Miz wasn't even close to it. His father rested on his bed as well. "It was scary father…" the olive child confessed. Dib felt his brows scrunch down in concern.

"I'm sorry… I wish we could have known Tak was here sooner…" Dib whispered. Miz shook his head as he sat up. Dib watched him quietly.

"No, not her," he explained. "It was **him**; he was the scary one…"

"Zim?" Dib questioned in a gasp. Miz nodded.

"I thought for certain he was going to kill her…" Miz voice and eyes went far away. His arms wrapped around himself like he was freezing. Dib looked at the floor to get the image out of his head.

"It was only to protect you," Dib replied. Miz grunted as he flung off his blankets to stand in front of his father.

"Don't you see?!" he hissed out. "Don't you get it?!" Dib stood cautiously as Miz paced the room hurriedly. "He could have easily snapped her in half! H-He's psycho! You didn't see the scar he gave her! You didn't see!" Miz pointed at his father, finger quaking. Dib fluidly pushed Miz's hand down and brought him in close.

"It'll be okay…" Dib murmured. Miz shook his head, burying himself in his father.

"I don't understand you father…" Miz admitted inaudibly. "**He** is your everything?"

And then Miz fainted.

**A/N:** And thus I end chapter two. This chapter is about three pages shorter than my last, but that is only because there is now more detail in the memories. And now Miz had a memory scene too!

I recently found out the name Miz isn't as original as I thought it was. But then again, it's an easy name to come up with. Still, I love my Miz. I feel so bad for Zim. I emotionally abuse characters all the time. What is wrong with me, I wonder…

I beat up on Tak too. I don't hate her, it's just… she got beat up. –Shrugs- I don't know why. It just happened.

Okay then! Loves to my wonderful reviewers! Loves all! –Kissu-


	3. This Is What We Call Life

**A/N:** Took a while but here it is! The much awaited chapter three! I know the flash backs are starting to annoy people, but they're a main point of the story. Sorry all.

By the way, I just fixed up the typos for this chapter after I reread it on It's a whole lot better now. ENJOY!!!

**Warning:** Contains… lots of crap really… like AlienxBoy mating that results in weirdness… compared to that everything is just peachy.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, don't own… But I like to dream sometimes….

**Summary: **A story within a story… Love… what is it truly? Can it survive time and curses…? Zim and Dib have been wronged with secrets and promises must be broken or kept… What is happening? The only way to find out is to read…

**Remember:**

"Speech"

_Thoughts/Memories_

Time Breaks

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Three- **This Is What We Call Life

Both children were sound asleep, tucked in neatly, and snoring softly. Dib was staring at his son when Zim had finally walked in. The human brought his face away from the child to look at Zim who was leaning against the wall. He stood there for a moment before his hand reached out.

"I want to show you something…"

The Garden

Dib's hand was placed over his mouth as he quietly walked along the grass. Real grass… from his homeland, Earth. His hand wavered as he let it fall against a tree. The feeling of bark alerted the tender pads on his fingertips, sending a signal to his brain clearly saying _Yes, it's a real live tree from Earth!_

The Irken stood, holding his elbows across his stomach, watching the pale being cautiously tiptoe around the garden. What little doubt of worthlessness the whole trouble of stealing and then planting such organisms that had grown there during his long and agonizing journey was wiped clean away from Zim's mind.

The human breathed in the fresh scent of pure oxygen being released from the flora around them. It made the lungs stronger for a moment, but then gave way to a slight cough. He hunched over for a moment to compensate the sudden fullness in his lungs.

"Careful," Zim warned as he instantly moved forward to touch Dib. "You are still recovering." Dib raised slowly, his fingers gingerly inching up to the alien.

"I'm fine now…" he whispered. Zim studied him with clouding orbs.

"I… broke all my promises to you, didn't I?" the words were harsh, but very little kindness came from Irkens in general. Dib felt his happier mood cloud over. He shook his head, scythe hair waving slightly. Zim had let his claw cutch on to it for a moment, fingering through it. "If only I wasn't so stupid enough to think—"

"Stop it," Dib interrupted, throwing his palm against Zim's lips. Zim's voice faltered to a slow sigh. Dib lowered his hand, unsure of where else it could rest. Knowing the way his human thought, the Irken stopped fondling his hair to entwine their hands together.

"You don't hate me again, do you, worm-baby?" there was a slight ironic grin placed on Zim's face. Dib squeezed his hand. Zim gave a feeble laugh as he squeezed back. "I thought you might have… The whole time I watched your plant blow up."

Dib let out a pain-filled noise and he tried to push it back down. Zim let out a small sound like sounded like a sigh.

"For weeks I tried to convince myself… that it was all a lie. I snapped… I really did. They… My Tallest," the title was said with a grim voice. "Almost made me believe that you were gone. They even gave me pictures of stillborn smeets. Now I know they lied about that as well…"

Dib didn't want to hear the cruel things… but he couldn't find his voice.

"They threw me into a holding cell. They tried to be nice… but I heard the whispers… they were thinking of de-activating my PAK. Somehow… for some reason they couldn't… We can't live more than a few hours without our PAKs. So… down there in that cell… I fixed mine without them knowing. Gir was still in process and Minimoose helped. I've managed to completely sustain myself…" Zim's monologue kept going.

Dib bit his tongue to keep from making more sobs.

"Then, I broke out… and I killed them. Tak had… She tried to stop me. She told me she pitied me… So I just disabled her. I didn't know she would actually come back to return her favor... I'm… I'm sorry…" Zim's voice died away, and honestly it hurt to say those words. The alien never thought he would actually have to apologize for so much..

Silence had taken its toll, leaving Dib shaking. Zim thought at first he had scared the human, or that Dib was too stunned to speak… but Dib began to let out a small nervous laugh. He covered his mouth, trying to swallow it back, and dove into Zim's torso.

Zim gasped and held on tight, trying to soothe the poor human. Dib felt his lungs begin to ache and he slowly fell into the grass. Zim followed carefully. The soft grass was starting to smother Dib's sudden hysteria. After a few moments he had settled down.

"You went through hell… just to come back to me?" Dib asked his voice hoarse. Zim nodded. He brought the human closer to his face, and then deftly pulled off the glasses hiding bright amber eyes. Dib's vision was reduced and blurred, but Zim was still there.

"I told you I would," the Irken murmured. The human nodded, suddenly very drained. He closed his eyes and leaned against the lithe alien chest. Zim let his own eyes close. "Come, you've had a long day, and will have a longer road to recovery…"

Infirmary… Station RS-802

There was a study hum of beeps in an immaculate white room. Doctors bustled around the bright white room making notes and speaking hushed words. They were things like, "Coma," and "Difficult recovery." They were setting up a routine for nurse hours and care specialists.

They were simply doing they're job… But perhaps they were doing it too well.

The Professor stood outside a glass-lined examination room, chin in his hands as he observed the people weaving in and out of the room. It had been a few hours after the other doctors confessed that the woman lying in the bed might not ever wake up. For some reason, Professor Membrane didn't care, and certainly didn't believe their assumptions.

"P-Professor, Dwicky is a-asking for you," some new nurse behind him stuttered out. The Professor turned slightly, frowning marring his face.

"He can still speak?" he questioned. The nurse gulped and nodded quickly.

"He said it's important!" she blurted out, face turning red. The Professor sighed and straightened his blood splattered coat. Mentally he reminded himself to buy a new one. He brushed off the uneasy nurse and quickly marched down the hallway to find Dwicky's room.

Membrane ended up in another extremely white room, walls the thick bullet-proof glass. Hooked up to many machines with a breathing tube jutting from his neck, Dwicky was sitting in the pale blue bed, face scrunched in pain.

"You wanted to speak?" Professor Membrane inquired, arms crossing over his chest. Dwicky jerked his head up roughly, eyes wide. He pressed a button over the breathing tube and opened his mouth, but someone beat him to it.

"I believe you have a problem," a voice growled. Membrane spun around, a noise like a gasp leaving his throat. Accusingly, the man's arm rose to point.

"You!"

"Yes, me."

A cruel smile...

"_I picture your face in the back of my eyes…"_

_Crimson orbs blinked sleepily. A green jaw cracked open, yawning loudly. The melody that woke him began to hush until the hum faded when the alien sat up on his ugly couch. There was his human, standing with his arms crossed in the doorway to his kitchen._

"_Hey…" he greeted softly. The alien let a slow grin fall over his face._

"_Morning," he said in return. The bespectacled one simply walked over and lay down on top of his extraterrestrial lover. Zim was surprised, but nonetheless circled his arms around his human securely. "Are you alright?" he asked lightly. Dib nodded his head._

_Zim let his claws rake through the soft, dark hair. Dib gave a slight shiver, but he was relaxing peacefully… or as peacefully as his stomach churning would let him. Suddenly, Dib's fist clenched against the messy shirt the alien was wearing, his body bending over in a slight pain from his abdomen._

_Zim instantly sat up, eyes flashing dangerously. Dib's hand slapped over his mouth and dry heaves made his throat constrict. The Irken's mind immediately assumed the worst and was running through all the ghastly human diseases he studied over and flipped through. _

_After much swallowing and a few groans, Dib let himself fall back onto his the arches of his feet. He put his pale, sweating hand over his brow. Zim, however, gently tore his hand away, taking off his black gloves so his emerald hand could better take the human's temperature._

"_You don't have a fever…" Zim murmured, invisible eyebrows scrunched down in puzzlement. Dib pulled the green claw away quickly, so his sweat wouldn't burn the alien._

"_I'm fine. Just a little nauseous," the human mumbled. The Irken reluctantly began sliding his glove back on._

"_Alright, if you're sure…"_

Irken Ship- Zim Approximately One Week Later

"GAH!"

"OWE!"

"TAKE TH—HEY! NO HITTING!"

"SQUEAK!"

Miz was suddenly overrun by the squeaking, flying Minimoose that was trying to protect Zag's honor. Miz waved around his metal pipe frantically hoping to hit the purple monster, Zag let out a shrill cry as the pipe came extremely close to the ends of her bangs.

Just as Miz was about to swing again, nearly to clobber his sister, an emerald claw zapped down, grasping the pipe firmly by the end. Both Miz and Zag jumped in surprise, turning to face the Irken standing above them. Minimoose stopped its squeaks and floated guiltily.

"Any reason you were going to beat Minimoose and your sister to death?" Zim asked, voice slightly teasing as he wretched the pipe from Miz's four fingered hands. Zim turned it over, examining it carefully. Sighing, he used his spider legs to pick it up and place it in his PAK. "You really shouldn't use any of the piping as weapons; I don't know when I can make it the next port."

"Well excuse me for trying to have a little fun! This place is as boring as he—"

"Miz!" Zag cried quickly. Her brother glowered at her.

"I was going to say 'heck,'" he finished caustically turning on his heel and walking out of their bedroom. Zag made a frustrated sound and simply ignored him, turning to her Dona.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. Zim shrugged much use to Miz's eccentric behavior by now. With a smile she grabbed his gloved hand and began to drag him out of the room. Zim stumbled trying to keep up with the small child.

"Where're we going?" Zim questioned. Zag turned back and let out a secret smile.

"You'll see…"

Zim exhaled quietly and inwardly tried not to panic.

Hospital Wing

Dib was lazily tracing the scar across his stomach. Zim was constantly paranoid and basically kept him locked in the medical part of the ship. After hearing metallic bangs resonate throughout the whole ship (and it is pretty big ship), Zim left to go find the chi—err, smeet.

The human felt himself let out a huge breath as he sat in the swivel chair, spinning around while thinking, _bored, bored, bored, bored, bored…_ And so on and so forth.

It was then that Miz stomped passed, pausing as he saw his father twirling in Zim's chair. Not for the first time, fury licked at Miz's heart. The fact that his father was left alone and seemed to have nothing better to do than spin in a chair was questionable of someone claiming to 'take care of my Dibby properly.' So he redirected his route and padded into the room.

"Father," he said. Dib's twisting instantly halted, and he looked up from his feet nervously. Miz smiled as he crossed his arms superiorly. "I see you're bored." Dib scratched at the back of his head, a nervous grin on his face.

"Am I that obvious?" he questioned. Miz nodded. Dib let a grin crack over his face and Miz ran up to tackle his father to the ground. The human laughed hysterically as his son tickled his sides mercilessly. That was until Miz found himself on the floor, his dad countering the attacks.

Miz squirmed and let out little squeals, a grin nearly cracking his face in half. "O-Okay! You win! You win! I give up!" Dib sat back on his heels triumphantly. Miz wormed his way across the floor a slight pout on his face. The amber eyed man reached out and plunked up the boy, holding him close and nuzzling him. "Ack! Father, I'm not a kitten!"

"Nope, but I made such a cute kid!" he teased. Miz wiggled about, tipping his head backwards to stick out his serpentine tongue. Dib shook his head and let his child relax in his arms. The human was rocking back and forth, a song in his head. Miz swayed the opposite way, just to annoy his father.

"What are you humming?" Miz asked sincerely. Dib looked down, a bit of a jolt showing on his features. For a moment, Miz looked a lot like… The human shook his head clear, the rocking stilled.

"It's an old song…" he mumbled. Miz tilted his head, those gold-like orbs confused. The human lifted Miz from his lap and started to stand up. Dusting himself off, Dib nodded out the door. "Let's go find your sister."

The Kitchens

"Okay, now you put in the chips," Zag pointed to the bag of Nestles Chocolate Chips.

"You sure?" the taller Irken inquired, picking up the bag speculatively.

"Yep," she nodded. Zim gave a half shrug and dumped most of the contents in the bag.

"Like that?" he asked. Zag looked up from her book and measuring cup.

"Yeah, like that," she said. Her Dona smirked as he worked the batter with a wooden spoon.

She went back to the book and looked up, grabbing a small bag of flour and pouring it in messily to the cup. The rush of powder flopped the cup over, spilling the shining chrome countertop with flour. Stumbling a little, she set it back upright and compensated for the lost flour. Then she picked up the large measuring device and dumped the white mix in.

"Careful," Zim warned as she almost slipped on the littering powder. Zag stepped around it and sat back down in her spot, reading the rest of the recipe.

"I am," the girl agreed while flipping the page to the continued directions.

"Alright." The alien shook his head, still stirring. Yellowish dough was forming, the chips making slight bumps in the mixture. While Zim was testing the dough, Zag was swinging her legs off the counter, giving him orders about what to do with the uncooked sweets.

That was how Miz and Dib found them.

Dib let out a sort of muffled chuckle and Miz sprinted right to his sister, breezing past the tall alien. Zim turned his head toward Miz briefly before looking back at the human, a nonexistent brow raised. Dib gave him a cheesy smile and walked up to see what they were attempting to bake.

"Oh, chocolate chip cookies! My favorite!" Dib stuck his pinky in and swiped a bit to eat. With a pleasant noise, he nodded. "Not bad." Zag giggled while Zim leaned over to lick off a smear of chocolate on Dib's bottom lip.

"No, not bad at all," he murmured. Zag stuffed her fist in her mouth to hide the uproarious laughter at her father's extremely cherry colored face. Miz stuck out his tongue while making light choking noises.

"Zag, hand me a spoon," he managed to mutter. His sister dropped her hand to reach for one.

"Sure, but why?" she inquired, slapping it in his palm. Miz tested the batter before cleaning it with his tongue.

"Oh, I'm just going to gag myself," he explained before popping the spoon in his mouth. Zag scoffed and playfully nudged him away.

"You're so juvenile," she taunted. Miz pulled out his wooden spoon and smacked her knee flippantly.

"So says the girly-girl baking cookies," he insulted. Zag made a gasp and bookmarked her page before setting it down.

"Girly! I'll show you girly!" she exclaimed before leaping off her perch and attacking her brother. He let out a cry as she pounced and they tumbled to the floor. They scuffled using spoons and childishly whacking each other with open hands.

Zim let his head rest on Dib's shoulder, a sigh working its way past his mouth. Dib shook his head, watching them in a sad kind of memory. _I wish you could see them now Gaz…_

_The violet haired girl lay on her bed, studying for her semester finals. She wasn't really doing much besides that. Her radio would have been turned on; however her stupid brother broke it while making a 'Naga Mating Call Device.'_

_Whatever._

_But sounds caught her attention from down the hall. Angry, horrible sounds she never really heard before. It could have been arguing… but who would do that in this house? With drawn brows, the young woman hopped off her black and silver spider web bed. _

"—_the line this time! This is insanity!"_

"_Well, what else is new?! If it wasn't for you—"_

"_You blame this atrocity on me?! This absurdness?! The world is going to be in a state of chaos in less than twenty-four hours and it could very well be your fault!"_

"_Hey, I warned you! I told you this would happen! Seven years, dad, seven years! I've been busting my butt to save this horrible planet and you… you just called me crazy…"_

_The words were clear now and Gaz's eyes were wide and unbelieving as she stood at the top of the stair. Below her the scene of was her father and her brother quarrelling. The Professor rigid and her brother bent over as if in pain._

"_If I could fix what happened, I would. But I can't, son," Membrane apologized with little emotion in his voice. Dib squeezed his eyes tight and bowed his head. His father stepped forward, boots echoing so loudly even Gaz wanted to cover her ears. "You can fix this though… You heard their demands. You can save us if you do this one little thing."_

"_What?" Dib asked, his head popping up shocked. His father took another step toward him, but the teen drew back. "How can you say that?!" _

"_Son, this is no time to be selfish," Membrane's tone went steely. Gaz lowered onto the floor, knees coming up to press against her chest. A terrible feeling sinking into her bones. "All you have to do is let him go."_

"_I could no sooner let go of my heart," Dib protested, laying his hand on his chest for emphasis. "This isn't about is about selfishness—which it damn well should because Lord knows I've wasted my time being noble for a bunch of apes that can't wait to pummel me to death—no, this is about survival!"_

"_Listen to yourself!" Membrane shouted suddenly. Dib jumped surprised. Gaz tightened her hands around the bars of the railing to the stairs. "You'd destroy your world completely over this beast!"_

"_If it keeps us together, then yes! I'm in love with Zim!" the son admitted. Gaz gasped and covered her mouth with her hand so no one could hear her, even though the two males below weren't even somewhat aware she could hear __**them**_

"_You're still young! You don't know a damn thing about love!" The father yelled. Then with a sharp intake of breath he held up his hands. Visibly the Professor counted down to ten, trying to control his rage. Dib waited while his dad composed himself. "There are plenty of other men in the world, human men—"_

"_God, Dad! It's not about men! I couldn't care less if he was a guy!" Dib groaned and ran his fingers through his raven hair._

"_I don't get it then! They will kill us all!" The temper of the Professor was rising high again. "Why can't you just—"_

"_Because we've already mated, dammit!" Dib screamed. Then he clapped his hand over his mouth, instantly regretting his words. Professor Membrane's eyes behind his glaring glasses were as wide as saucers._

"_Mated…?" he repeated, dumbfound. Dib gulped as he father wheeled backwards, arms flying out to catch the wall and steady himself. "Mated… You've already…? How long has this been…?" The Professor felt bile rise up in throat and he couldn't finish his sentences._

"_I'm sorry dad… You just didn't believe me and then…" Dib felt his eyes grow hot with unshed tears, but he refused to cry, goddamit! Gaz let her burning forehead hit the cool metal bars. "It just happened."_

"_So that means you can just sacrifice Earth for him?" Membrane ground out between his teeth. Dib's arms curled around himself as if he was freezing._

"_On his planet… There is no love… all their children are reproduced through factories…" Dib warily explained. The Professor shook his head slightly. _

"_Get to the point, son," he demanded. Dib hid his face in his hands._

"_Irkens do this because you can only bond with one person! Since they have no love or commitment, they rarely ever find someone to bond with!" the human's voice was thick with grief. _This was not the way things were suppose to go.

"_And he picked you…?" the voice sounded partially disgusted._

"_Yes! That's why they make their children! They don't normally feel love so procreation would be too long of a process to wait for the right person!" Dib's fingernails dug into his skin as he felt his voice grow raw from all his shouting. Professor Membrane cautiously righted himself._

"_You went through with this… bonding, mating, or whatever, willingly?" the father was beginning to lose all previous shred of ever having his emotions on display. Dib shakily brought down his hands, nodding barely. "I still don't see why he just can't leave…"_

"_I… Dad… I'll die…" he whispered, afraid that if he said it too loud it might come true. "Zim didn't know what would happen since I'm human… but… we slowly found out… the more he's away, the weaker I'll get."_

_Membrane seemed unfazed._

"_Don't you get it…? If he were to leave, I would die… and we didn't see it as a problem since he was going to be exiled here anyways… But I don't know why they want him back…" Gaz bit the inside of her lip, starting to loathe the sound of her brother's broken accent._

_Membrane still did nothing._

"_Dad… You have to help us…" the bespectacled boy pleaded. Professor Membrane shook his head and pivoted on his heel to walk back down the hallway. "Dad!"_

"_I will not help you…" the man stated. Dib panicked and gripped his t-shirt protectively._

"_I-I'm pregnant!" he confessed. Membrane halted, his head turning back slightly, unsure if he heard right. Gaz bolted up and tumbled down the stairs, pausing halfway, not that Dib even noticed. "I'm carrying his kid! I swear… Please! I don't know what to do…"_

_Membrane turned his head onward and ignored his son standing in front of the door._

_Dib folded up, bellowing in a strangled cry as he hit the ground. Gaz, stunned, watched as Dib tried his best to breathe but failed. She wouldn't remember whatever it was she shouted as her brother passed out, stone cold; but Gaz wouldn't forget the immense hatred she felt for her father in that instance._

Station RS-802 Room Number 52

"Would you like anything today, miss?" a nurse asked the sleeping violet haired woman. The brain spike monitor showed she was close to consciousness… or she was taking a trip down memory lane. The nurse tucked her tight in bed. Then she walked out sighing, "Maybe another day, huh?"

"Sure," a voice wavered over the clicking of fading heels. Dulled honey colored eyes opened groggily. "But get me pizza first…"

And then the eyes fluttered shut… and the brain spiked once more.

"_Dad had no right to do that…"_

"_Gaz… what's gonna happen to me if he leaves?"_

"…"

"_If Zim leaves, I'll die! And not just from this damn bond! He's going to leave me and—"_

"_He won't…"_

"_But what if—"_

"_But if he does_, I'll_ be there and _I'll_ fix you."_

"… _Lil' sis…?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Thanks…"_

"_Heh, no problem big bro… but you're paying me a GS3."_

_And then the Dib laughed._

**TBC**

**A/N:** The beginning of this one was difficult for me to do. I also couldn't think of a title. I ended up with this one because it came to me while writing the chocolate chip cookie scene. I'm hoping Gaz is not too OOC. I was just trying to convey that she was shocked over the turn of events. Of course, she would side with Dib because, well, it's her brother.

Sure, she hates him in the series, but its love/hate. She wouldn't want him dead; just maimed. Dib, for some inane reason, seems to love just about everyone or at least cares too much. Yeah… he got hysterical… but he does that a lot, doesn't he?

Right then, that's all. You probably won't see a whole lot of me until I finish some ficces :/

(_SteelAgainstIvory_)


	4. Words Spelled With Four Letters

A/N:

**A/N:** Anyone who believed I stopped this fic needs to bashed over the head. I'm _**NOT**_ stopping. –Sighs- I merely have writers block… Kind of. The story is still kind of forming. Which I will warn you, NEVER WRITE A FIC THAT ISN'T FINISHED IN YOUR MIND!

You'll end up like me o.0;;;

**Warning:** Contains… lots of crap really… like AlienxBoy mating that results in weirdness… compared to that everything is just peachy.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, don't own… But I like to dream sometimes….

**Summary: **Umm… Some morefluffy-ish or maybe even romantic-ish ZaD stuffies??

**Remember:**

"Speech"

_Thoughts/Memories_

Time Breaks

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Four-**Words Spelled With Four Letters

"Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiz!" Zag whined. She spied around a corner, but could not find her brother. The accompanying Minimoose squeaked and floated around her head sympathetically. Heaving a sigh, the girl decided to go and find her parents. Perhaps Miz was with them in the hospital part of the ship.

However, Miz was not with his parents in the Hospital Wing. In fact, Miz stuck himself in the library bit of the ship. He was, at all costs, avoiding his father and especially his dona. If that Irken slime could be called as such.

Five years. Five long as heck years Dib waited for Zim. Miz grunted as he pulled out a book from a shelf, dust flying everywhere and making intricate patterns in the slim batch of light. He read the cover, scoffing and throwing it somewhere behind him as his thoughts grew morbid once more.

_Shouldn't that jerk be dead?_ Miz speculated with his fingers grazing over the spines of many books. Earth books from the appearance of most of them. Miz had only seen a collected few back at Last Port; he assumed Zim must have stolen these from where ever he was held capture before. _They haven't told us what happened… But I know __**he**__ shouldn't be alive…_

_Although, I guess I can be thankful dad will live…_ Miz pulled out a book, surprised to find that something had slipped out from between the pages. Blinking, the child kneeled down, picking it up between his four fingers. It was a paper, folded over many times until it was one long strip. A bookmark, he knew, but noticed letters on the inside of the paper.

"Anna-Molly…" he read slowly. He folded the paper back over again and stuck it in his pants pocket, thinking, _what a sad poem…_

"_You know…" Zim murmured against the straining belly. Dib cocked his head to the side sleepily. In the dark of their home on the outskirts of a ruined town, the Irken would trace his claw tenderly across a human's soft abdomen. "I think I would like to be a dona…"_

Zim and Dib's Bedroom

Zim was inwardly roaring with triumph, he was mentally jumping for joy, he was happily snuggling with his stolen human who he stole right back. So, like the eccentric narcissistic megalomaniac he is, Zim was hugging the Diblet extremely close to his chest and was fully enjoying the feeling of said Diblet breathing lightly in his sleep.

The couple was wrapped together, swathed in the warm blankets on the comfortable bed. The alien had his orbs closed and was entirely focusing on just the pale human in his arms. Dib's glasses lay on the table with the raven hair mussed and his scythe was cascading around them like gothic silk ribbons.

It was probably best that the Irken had those blood colored eyes shut, since if he were to open them they would be assaulted by the prefect beauty of the pale milk skin being enveloped in the deep emerald that was his own and of the ebony floating around them and gleaming lazily on the dark cobalt sheets.

The half-Irken on the other hand… she could see quite clearly and was quite beside herself for a complete moment. Finally after blinking numerous times and shaking away the magenta blush, Zag spun out of the room, Minimoose trailing behind her and squeaking mutely.

_Wow! If only Miz could see THAT!_ She turned around a sharp corner and leaned on it heavily, hand covering her smile. _He definitely couldn't be angry about our Dona then…_

"_This is stupid, Zim…" the human said, kicking his box under a makeshift bed. The alien turned around and stuck out his line ridden tongue. "The armada will have no issue finding us…" Dib's hand unthinking rested over his swelling stomach. Zim paused for a moment, wary of his incredible urge to sweep Dib away from his problems._

"_I told you…" he murmured, walking across the tiny living area to bring Dib's attention from the floor up to his green face. "There's a cloaking device on the house. They're not going to find us." The raven nodded, closing his eyes and letting himself breathe evenly. Zim smirked as he let a gloved claw casually play with the scythe of inky hair._

_Zim's entertainment was cut short by a knock at the door. The alien scowled and Gir rushed about their feet, jumping up to the Judas hole and proudly announcing it was the "scary girl with purple bob!"_

_Ignoring the tiny robot like always, Dib opened the door, Gaz strolling in while inattentively playing her GameSlave. Zim perched himself on the recently dented box with a growl. Gaz was the only person—human worm baby or otherwise—that somehow manages to enter his defenses systems with no problem. She won't give away her secret, but frankly it's probably because she's freaky._

"_Info from the outside world," she declared, throwing Zim a newspaper. His spider leg caught it without thinking. Dib closed and locked the door as Gaz's machine quickly let out a squeal of joy. Then she pocketed the noisy thing after saving her level. From the backpack she was carrying, she pulled out a couple bottles and a note pad._

"_What are those for?" Dib questioned while padded over to go sit by Zim, who was currently engrossed in the paper. He flipped it absently while hrrumph!-ing every now and again._

"_Research. I've got some books back home about preggo's—"_

"_Pre-what?"_

"_She mean's pregnancy, Zim."_

"_Anyways…" the young woman went on with a hairflip, "I brought vitamins for you. I thought it might help. However, I need to ask Zim some questions." At her snooty tone Zim crossed his arms, throwing the paper up in the air for his spider leg to catch. Dib simply rolled his eyes and let the questioning begin…_

"Zim…?"

The alien blinked rapidly. Dib sat next to him, pale hands poised above the control center of the ship, his brows tilted upward behind owlish glasses in a worry. Zim shook his head, antenna dropping tiredly.

"Are you okay?" the human questioned. Rust colored eyes closed.

"Yeah," Zim paused, unable to look at his Dib, "Just lost in thought."

"_How often does your species have children?" Gaz questioned, legs crossed as she poised on a box opposite the couple._

"_Umm… We don't really," the alien confessed with a shrug. Gaz rolled her eyes and marked off something on her little black note book with a skull she was carrying around._

"_When you do?" she tried again._

"_Well…Back when we were taught in invader school, I remember a robot teacher explaining Irken bonding and how incredibly rare it was. Sexual desire leads to clouded minds, you know," Zim answered with his chin in his claw. Dib was rocking back and forth on his feet lazily._

"_Yeah, yeah, I know," Gaz said, waving her hand, the pen dangling between long fingers._

"_So when it happened with Dib… I guess I didn't really think. I should have realized though. The bonding maybe rare, but sex isn't. I heard stories about what some of the older Tallest did. They had sex to gain control of their opponent," the voice took on a thoughtful quality. _

"_Rape, you mean?" the paranormal investigator inquired with shock._

"_Unfortunately. Not many of them got pregnant though. However, one story said that the Tallest mated with a captive—also another male—and what happened was the seed turned into eggs in order to create a child," the Irken explained. Gaz was furiously writing down every word verbatim. _

"_What happened to the baby?" she asked, barely glancing up in time to see Zim quickly avert his eyes to a nearby window._

"_Zim?" Dib reached out, fingertips brushing an antenna._

"_They killed it."_

"Zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag?" Miz walked up and down chrome polished hallways, very put off by the fact he had not seen his sister in a while. The tiny hybrid was jogging down to the kitchen area. He turned a corner and sighed when all he found was a hyper active robot trying to bake pancakes.

"Is that all you do, Gir?" he caustically inquired. Gir pranced about happily. The olive colored boy leaned against the wall, feeling a pout form on his lips. "I want waffles."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO WAFFLES!! EVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL!"

The robots eyes went red and Miz decided it was high time to get out of there.

Somewhere down the way, Zag finally bumped into her brother.

"What are running from?" she questioned. Miz panted and pointed behind him.

"Crazy robot… waffles… don't ask!"

Zag wisely chose to forget about the incident.

As Miz was leaning on his own knees, Zag saw a piece of paper stick out of his pant's pocket. She quickly plucked it up, the boy not even protesting. She unfolded it and read the words carefully a few times over. "Where'd you find this?" she wondered. Miz waved his hand in the direction of the library.

"I was reading and it was a book mark," he said simply. The girl gave it back to Miz, who then placed it back into its pocket-home. Once he regained his posture, the two set off toward their rooms. Feeling tired from exploring, they wanted to rest.

_Dib froze. His hand was protectively cradling his stomach. Zim stood up from where he was seated, clutching onto the hand fiercely. Giant amber eyes blinked behind owl glasses. Bright orbs the color of blood stared them down meaningfully._

"_They won't touch you, I promise," he whispered. The human shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the gripping panic._

"_Zim…"_

"_Jeez," Gaz muttered as she too rose from her spot. She crossed her arms and glared at the both of them. "All I gotta say is you both better not get caught; otherwise all my work here is for nothing."_

"_Thank you," Dib managed to say without a shaking voice. By now he had let his hand squeeze Zim's claw tightly._

"_Right then," she said, zipping up her back pack and tossing in her notebook, "I'm off then. I'll show up when I have some more information. And some vitamins again. They're being rationed out."_

_Dib nodded and the young woman slung on her bag, exiting the house and closing the door softly. Her booted steps leisurely began making their way down the twisting hillside and around the scatters of booby-traps. After a couple of minutes, her presence had dispersed from the lives of Zim and Dib._

_Dib gripped onto his alien, refusing to let go for a long time…_

"Ahhh, Dib-baby, what are you doing?" Zim purred huskily as he felt those square fleshy fingers stroking his abdomen. The Irken peeked open his orbs to see the human sheepishly twirling his index over a bit of exposed emerald skin.

"You were looking stressed, so I just thought…" Dib mumbled, he momentarily fixed his glasses as they slipped down his nose. Zim smirked, unable to do anything but swiftly pluck off the annoying contraptions. As if on reflex only, the human leaned forward, reaching out for the glasses and then the alien took his chance to wrap a long arm around the slim pallid waist.

Taken aback, Dib fell into Zim's lap. His legs dangling over the sides of the swivel chair and sent them spinning for a moment; the invader happily nuzzled the Diblet's chest. The calmly human heartbeat relaxed Zim and he sighed contented. The raven looked down helplessly, splotches of green and some red his only vision.

"Mmmm, you're so soft…" the alien murmured, breathing against the cloth. It warmed drastically and Dib began to get a bit hot under the collar.

"Ziiiiiiim!" those human hands started to grip onto the shoulders of the being under him.

"Don't whine like that Dibby, I might take you here and now," Zim warned voice completely serious. It still caused Dib to blush like virgin despite age and practice.

"You're such a jerk…"

Zim laughed richly and arrogantly as his human pouted in his arms above him.

"_So the C-section thing is really safe?" the alien asked as Gaz was setting down her notebook. Dib was lying on the couch, yawning. He was getting exhausted by simple things lately and Zim was left to do most of the work—which by now he had grown quite use to._

"_Well he can't give birth naturally, stupid," Gaz grumbled, seriously regretting explaining to Zim how the next month or so was going to work. What the violet haired woman didn't expect was that Zim had always been taking notes._

"_You said humans take only nine months—"_

"_Females! Human __**females**__! We are __**designed**__ to have children," she snapped, zipping up her backpack. The Irken scowled, his antennas flatting on his skull in irritation. "You often forget the fact Dib is MALE. The longer the baby—"_

"_Smeet."_

"_GAH! Fine, smeet!" Gaz acknowledged, throwing up her hands, "The longer the smeet stays inside him, the shorter is life span will become. This is basically a parasite to his body. You're both extremely lucky it even took so well to him…"_

_Zim was busy staring at the human curled up on the makeshift couch throughout this speech. Gaz felt herself relax as she, too, was mesmerized by such a happening. How could something so profound happen between an Irk and a human?_

"_I've got to go now. Any longer and dad might figure where I am…" the woman threw the pack on her shoulder and clicked her boots together. Zim shifted his head and nodded. As Gaz started out to the door she paused, hand on the knob, "I'm serious Zim. Dib has to have the child within the next two months… any longer might cause harm we can't heal. Both him and the smeet will have the best chance of survival by then."_

_Gaz didn't wait for a reply; she just walked out of the shack, closed the door, and meandered on home. She brought up her GameSlave, randomly choosing a level she already beat; just to make it seem like that was all she had been doing. _

_The sky over head was bloodied… whizzing of fighter jets looked out for the two escapees… Seeing her brother's face plastered on the streetlamps and such was awfully confusing sometimes. The world had literally gone to Hell in a hand basket when the Irkens invaded the planet. _

_Some cities had built up defenses. Most of the population was flying out in orbit thanks to her father however. Only this place and a few other metropolises dared to stake a defense. Most hoped by finding either Dib or Zim the Irks would just leave…_

_Only Gaz knew they wouldn't._

_There was something fishy going on… it had the distinct smell of lies and secret plots._

_Violet locks entangled in the dusty wind and human wound her way down a path of broken rubble. She found her home, placed her thumb on the door handle, and the door swung open with a creaking moan. "Hey dad, I'm home!" she called. "No luck today. We got Jet-Dogs buzzing all over the place. Another Irken delegate might—"_

_Gaz gasped, feet instantly frozen to the spot as she rounded what use to be the kitchen entrance but was now the New Lab. Her eyes widened ten fold and her pack fell to the floor. Clattering of empty pill bottles echoed in the room, the wafting of notebook pages following suit, and the young lady's breath was much too hard to gain control in so short a span._

"_Wha…?"_

"_Ahhh, welcome home children…"_

Dib had sent the children to bed, Zim watching from the doorway, face expressionless as his human read to them. By the time the two were sleeping, the Irken and human were already halfway to their bedroom.

The human sighed, leaning into the lean chest of the alien, heart beating calmly. Zim was being cautious still, claiming they would have to take everything slow and let the Miz and Zag get use to this new environment and information. Dib agreed reluctantly.

"It feels like forever…" he grumbled. Zim twirled his claws across the long scythe hair.

"I could wait forever if I had to…"

"Heh, you're getting better at lying."

"I've had some time to practice."

The two laughed to themselves, walking into their dim and muted bedroom. Zim closed the door, setting up for the mainframe to wake him up in at least eight hours with Dib frowning to himself about all the now dirty pajamas he would have to wash later.

"C'mon, its time for us to rest as well," Zim said, tapping Dib's shoulder reluctantly. The raven nodded, grabbing an old worn out sweater and tossing it on over his bulbous head. Zim merely shed off his stripped red shirt, unbuckling his pants, and hopping into bed after cooling down his PAK. Dib placed his glasses on the counter a few feet from the large circular bed, climbing up and shuffling in under the warm space-designed fabric used for blankets.

"G'night."

"Sleep well, Dibby..."

They curled up on the bed together, like one would see from a pair of kittens separated too long from one another, and drifted off into a slumber with their peaceful breaths warming the air around them…

"_Give up alien scum!" a human screeched as he jumped from building to building in the city's outer areas of the public. Lightning flashed overhead dramatically and the alien scum scowled up at the sky, cursing the fleeting weather of the springtime._

_The human chuckled to himself evilly as he scaled up the side of a basically glass-plated building. _

_Zim had been caught off-guard in his pathetic attempt to destroy the school. He claimed to Dib it was a place of relentless torture and, plus, it was absolutely and positively the most boring place in the second case and point. Dib should have been overjoyed Zim was going to blow it __**and**__ the entire student population sky high._

_However, as true as the defense may be, it was still Dib's job to prevent the Irken from doing that._

_Not to brag of course, but he did __**that**__ particularly well; what with finding the bomb after running through the labyrinth of the hallway system, cutting the RED cable, not the BLUE one. Duh. That was, like, 101of how to save everyone from a bomb… too bad the rest of the class wasn't as thrilled with this as he was._

_Anyway, at some point in time, the scuffle escalated to a back fire of Zim's cannon blaster and now the alien was hurt and running away. This could be the paranormal investigators chance of a life time at finally getting that extra terrestrial on a metal slab in a laboratory! _

_With these thoughts of extreme ecstasy pumping through his veins, Dib misplaced his suction cup and almost slipped off the side of the wall. He panted and quickly regained balance of course, but it was still a near-death experience. A hollowed laugh floated through the air, causing Dib to spin his head to the left._

_Perched with those mechanical spider legs was Zim, arms crossed and ripped shirt swaying in the oncoming wind of a storm. The alien was lucky enough that the gravitational pull on Earth caused him to grow rapidly, at an even faster rate than that of Dib. Being in space all the time must be the reason his race was so stunted in growth. With no gravity to help you, there could be no physical changes or at least, very little ones._

"_You better pay attention, worm-baby! I don't want to have to scrap you off the sidewalk!" the alien shouted out, goading Dib on until his face was aflame in embarrassment at his own carelessness._

"_Just you wait Zim!" he called back, yanking the cup out and tossing it toward a closer panel, "When I get a hold of you—" Dib swung down, using the cups to propel him to the side of the other structure, "You're dead meat!"_

_So Zim openly laughed and scuttled across the roof with Dib right behind his heels._

_Dib began dancing around, panting as Zim was anxiously leaping toward other places with more cover. A fine sheet of mist was over males; sweat, tears, and possibly blood. Then in came the dew from the sky. Zim hissed and his eyes scanned over the nearest building with a water tower resting on it._

_Nodding to himself, the alien ran to the edge of the roof, turning back to see Dib fling up on to the brick and motor side of the roof. The human spied Zim, heaving himself up and going after him. Gritting his fanged teeth, he glanced back over the other building. A jump about seven or eight feet separated him from safety as the first signs of rain came down from the menacing sky._

_Just before Dib's fingers could brush against the back of the shirt, Zim's metal legs shot out again, blasting him from this roof to the next. Dib slid back, growling under his breath as the alien quickly scampered over the shelter under the metal water tower._

_Dib swiftly glanced in the region of his being for something, anything he could use to get over to the other side. Zim, stuck under the tower sighed, rubbing his chilled arms. "Give it up Dib! It's a tie today! There's no use continuing to fight! You can't get over here!"_

"_Never, Irken! I'll get over there somehow! You can't leave until it stops raining! I'll just…" Dib faded off as he paced, trying to locate a ladder, a long piece of wood, heck! Even a rope would do at this point in time!_

"_That's what I like about you! You're so determined!" Zim smirked, holding his chin in his clawed hands as Dib suddenly frozen, face confused and blushing all at the same time. "It could almost be called cute!"_

"_Shut up!" he screamed back, holding his cheeks in his hands, willing down the blood._

"_You're the one stalking me!" Zim pointed and stuck out his tongue. "You want me!"_

"_GAH! I SAID SHUT UP!" Dib cradled his head and scrunched up his eyes closed. That stupid bastard was messing with his mind again…He couldn't hear Zim's laughter, but he knew that the alien was probably making fun of him at this point. For some reason… that made his heart ache…_

_Gulping, he popped his head back up and glared. Zim's amusement was evident, even from far away, and Dib decided he would do what he had to wipe that smirk off his face._

_Zim, on the other hand, was surprised when Dib began walking backward, and turning away from him. He called out to taunt him some more, but the breath fell short as the human decided to take a galloping run toward the edge of the building._

_Zim gasped as the human's feet violently pushed off the side, thrusting him into the cold, open air of the sky. Dib was feeling victorious for a split second before gravity—that thing discussed earlier—kicked in and he was free falling towards the earth._

_Realizing a little bit too late, Dib didn't have the strength or the equipment to give him enough of a boost to cross an eight foot gap from building to building. Four foot? Sure. Double it and it takes all the energy you have._

_Closing his eyes he flung out his arms, preparing to be in a completely knew world of hurt—or death, but let's not think about that—Dib was not suspecting at all to be caught mid-drop by a three fingered hand. The human smacked up against the building's side, and made a slight grunt as he felt his socket pop out… strangely enough, it didn't matter. All that mattered was the sturdy grip on his thin wrist._

"_Didn't I tell you I had no intention of scrapping you off the ground today?"_

_Gazing up, the amber eyed lad spotted a gloved claw, leading up to a torso hanging halfway down the building's edge, his other arm straining on the bricks to keep him from plummeting off the roof as well. Dib gaped, seeing Zim's cocky grin on, with that stupid wig all askew._

_A bit of water splashed from the inky clouds above, catching the fake hairs in the wig, and dripping down onto the emerald cheek. The alien hissed as a steam of white wisp rolled up only to be cut in half by another streak of rain; the grasp almost loosened, but it was soon tightened._

"_W-Why…?" the human questioned, voice shaking. The alien merely smiled._

"_I don't want you to die."_

_Dib was hauled up by spider legs and the two shambled under the tower with Zim rubbing at the tiny burns. It seemed all feuds were forgotten as Dib plopped down on his rear and Zim chucked the evil wig onto the floor, despite it took the brute of the rain for him, and let his antenna wiggle freely._

_Silence had ticked by, strangely enough, and neither one actually minded. Water had poured down in a heavy and continuous pace, making sounds of a fainting beating on the metal. The gray world was punctuated only by the flashing of neon lighted signs and dull beams of gold. _

_There were frequent bouts of icy winds, causing the alien to shiver in his tattered clothes. Eventually he nudged Dib over, using him as a breaker, sucking the warmth from his nearby body. The human frowned, but otherwise didn't mind as he huddled in on himself, thinking deeply._

_A drop of water splashed on his glasses and he peered up, seeing a slight prick in the tower base above. He backed away, Zim following of course as his shield moved, and wiped off his lenses. It caused him to giggle when he realized exactly __**where**__ they were._

_The Irken peeked over at him, raising a brow that wasn't really there. Dib leaned back on his one good elbow, bringing up his knees to get comfortable. "You know we are under a WATER tower, right? Should it brake or topple over or anything, you'll die you know?"_

"_Yeah I know," Zim mumbled as he scratched at his exposed stomach. Dib averted his eyes for some reason, feeling guilty the action even caught his attention. "But you'd save me in the end."_

"_What? No, I wouldn't!" the human argued, perplexed at the statement. Zim blinked those crimson orbs, his snaky legs lifting out from his packet. Dib backed away as one flew by and stuck to the ground, just beside his arm that was still in use. The sudden weight change and depending on it made him quake under the tension._

"_You don't ever think about us…?" Zim inquired, leaning into the human's weak chest. Dib felt his arm about to give out and he bit his tongue. Those free claws dragged themselves through the damp night colored locks, tilting back the human head._

"_U-Us?" _

_Amber orbs stared wide as saucers as one of the digits caressed the side of his face, only to then resolve to snatch the spectacles from his eyes. Zim dangled them from the tips of his fingers and in his anger, Dib didn't think about the hand holding him up as it moved upward to get them back. _

"_Yes, us…"_

_About to descend backwards, the other claw still caught up in the dark strands of hair pulled up Dib as he swooped down. The human's mouth opened in shock as it pressed against and suckled on by the emerald being above him. Something slippery entered his mouth, searching and twisting along every crevice…_

_His blood seemed to pump slower and something from the pit of his heart cried out in utter happiness. Dib's arm draped over Zim's neck, bringing them just the tiniest bit closer as firm lips meshed against his own. His breathing sped up and the scent of the rain mixing with rusted metal rushed up to the center of his brain that told him this was not a dream._

_But could Dib push the alien away…? No… for some reason, he very well couldn't._

_It didn't make any sense at all… yet… he just decided to chalk it up to fate. Or maybe it was something better. He could care less; all he wanted to do was stay there, in Zim's arms, for a while._

**TBC**

**A/N: **Jeezy. Lots of memories in this one. I know some people don't like it but well… that's a main part of the story. It's all about what happened in the past. Sorry.

A bit more of AnnaMolly snuck in. I like that song. It reminds me of ZaDR and stuff.

Oh, and yeah… Zim seems really arrogant in that very _cool_ fashion… is that OOC??

Some stuff for Miz and Zag, and Gaz kind of… not much really though. I was focusing a bit more on the romance (don't worry Dibby, I wear glasses too XD).

Oh and if you can guess what words have four letters, I give you a cookie and a plushie… Hehe!

Uuuuuuuuuuuummm, I don't have much to explain… but if you got any questions, I would be happy to elaborate in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed chappy four, the next one will be out… sometime. I don't know when though.

-hangs head in shame-

PLEASE REVIEW! IT FEEDS THE PLOT BUNNIES AND FUELS THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Sincerely yours…

(_**SteelAgainstIvory**_)


	5. Culpable Brine Liken Acid

A/N: To Yeyana Valentine, I swear, I have never read such a wonderful comment

**A/N:** Thank you to all who support me. Especially those with lengthy reviews. It feeds the plot bunnies rainbow colored carrots! Yes, the chap title sounds whack, but it's an actual sentence.

**Warning:** Contains… lots of crap really… like AlienxBoy mating that results in weirdness… compared to that everything is just peachy.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, don't own… But I like to dream sometimes….

**Summary: **

**Remember:**

"Speech"

_Thoughts/Memories_

Time Breaks

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Chapter Five- **Culpable Brine Liken Acid

"'One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life:'" Miz read quietly to himself, "'that word is love.' –Sophocles."

One of the digits of a four fingered lime colored hand traced each letter of the word scribbled darkly and loopy-like on the page of a book he happened to pick up randomly. The boy sighed, feeling his antenna drupe over his head, bobbing in his vision.

It had been a while now. Miz was still hiding in the library every day. He had read pretty much all of the books in the expansive shining chrome compartment. Zag was off and about, learning to bake with the help of the annoyingly retarded robot and floating moose-like thing. Zim and Dib often piloted the ship, speaking to one another in hushed sort of voices…

Things were peaceful… pleasant and "family" oriented.

Except for Miz.

He deposited the book and rubbed at his honey colored orbs. Setting his head down on the table, he let out a puff of air. It fogged up the top, and he absently began doodling little stick figures and faces… they faded away so soon… almost as if they were never there to begin with…

A knock startled him. Miz glanced up in time to see the swooshing door open, revealing Zag tip-toeing in. She gave him a smile and walked over to the table and sat in a chair opposite of him.

"I've made some snacks…" she almost whispered. Miz nodded, sitting up straighter in his egg shaped seat. "They're down in the gulley waiting... so is dad and dona." Miz frowned and Zag had to wince.

"I'm not hungry right now," he answered. Then he took the book again, forcefully opening it enough to make a thud echo in the hollow panels of books.

"It's been half a year now…" Zag mumbled, beginning to stand up from her chair. "You really should give him a try." Her brother quickly sent her an icy stare. Inwardly, the girl flinched. Miz's mood was worsening with each day.

"I'm reading right now, so if you wouldn't mind—"

"Jeez! Be that way Miz! I don't even know why I bother sometimes!" she announced, cutting off his demand before she could fire off her quick-tempered frustration. Just as she turned to go, Miz flipped another page, making her stomp her feet in exasperation.

_**BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING**_!

She had barely got to the door when crimson hued lights began blinking. The large ship trembled, its metal creaking and groaning all around them. Instinctively the siblings covered their heads, diving under the desk to wait out the sirens… memories flitting past Miz's very eyes…

_Drills in case of emergency… the scary screams enveloping the bloodied lights… People ironically walking to and fro with no hurry… All alone and under the desk…No one but him… no one but him… no one but—_

"MIZ!" Zag was shaking his shoulders. Immediately he seemed to snap to his senses, shaking his head and clutching it between his sweating fingers. As he blinked, he realized that the lights weren't flashing, but had lowered considerably. The noise from the sirens had passed, as well as the ships quakes.

"What was that about?" he gulped, trying not to make his voice shake. Zag shook her head, ebony hair curling at the ends now.

"We better go find out," she suggested, standing by pushing off her folding knees. She turned back, offering her hand to her brother. Miz calmly slapped it to the side and deftly picked himself up. Rolling her eyes, Zag walked out into the hallway to find one of those magic red buttons in order to locate her parents.

So taking down a path through the metallic colored corridor, she finally spotted one. Zag pressed it, a hologrammed image popping up with a slight _boop_. It showed Zim attacking the keyboard, Gir running in the background screaming out the joy of being doomed. Dib was shaking his head typing away and using the touch sensitive screen to inspect certain parts of the ship.

"Dad!" Zag called, knowing that they weren't going to notice the floating image of Zag and Miz in the middle of the room due to their busy state. Dib paused, spinning around to see his daughter waving.

"Are you two alright?!" he asked immediately, dashing up to the screen and visually checking his children for injuries. Zag grinned and nodded. Dib sighed, backing off a little bit from the image. "Where were you?"

"Me and Miz were in the library," she answered casually as she tugged on a lock of her hair. "What happened exactly?" Dib shrugged helplessly, when Zim glanced back, motioning for the human to take a look at what he had found. Then he approached the kids in the hologram.

"It seems we blew one of the main reactor cores…" Zim explained, he then let his glare shift behind them to the chipper robot bouncing about the room. "Something left a stuffed animal in one of the vents!"

"I MADE BACON!!"

Miz felt a groan well up in his chest. Zim felt the same, because at the exact time, both of them cradled their heads in their hands. Zag, watching with one eyebrow lifted, noted the extreme similarities. A few moments of grief passed and Dib soon got back onscreen with a smile.

"I shifted some power between the cores," he said, "We can manage with the two, but we are going to have to find a third source soon." Miz and Zag, not knowing what else to do, just nodded.

"What are the coordinates of the ship?" Zim questioned, mildly tapping a claw on his cheek in thought. Dib quickly read off a bunch of nonsense from the computer the two younger beings couldn't quite comprehend. The Irken clapped his hands together in glee. "Wonderful! We're just a few days of floating away from a shipping port! And the sleaziest one in this sector of the Milky Way!"

"That's a good thing…?" Miz deadpanned. Zim's antenna prickled and he frowned.

"Well, maybe not good…" he restated. Miz felt himself snort. "But no one will ask questions, and no one will much care if we're on the run."

"Speaking of which," Miz began with a sort of snap in his tone, making his sister watch him closely as he seemed to be in a foul mood, "Where are we running to?"

Zim was silent, brooding almost, sharp blood colored eyes drawn. Dib quickly took focus on screen.

"Miz, take your sister down to the kitchen," he ordered. "You haven't eaten all day and it's showing in your attitude." Miz felt that like a punch to the gut. He gave a quick nod of obedience and then pivoted on his heels and started clanking his boots down the dusted hallways. Zag gazed back up at the picture of her father and dona, softly exchanging words in touch only.

Saying a silent apology she pressed the big red button and followed after her brother.

_The first things Miz can remember is the harshness of the bright lights… glaring down at him in the whiteness… noises were being made around him… So he cried as loud as he could. "Make them stop!" was what he was was trying to say…_

_Then suddenly, a cool, damp item was placed over his bulbous eyes. So he closed them. The voices kept talking… he didn't understand really… but they were getting quieter. He made a small squeak and felt warm arms envelope him. He was close to something and very safe… and extremely sleepy now that he was warm and there was a soothing sound around him._

_Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump it went. _

_Soon, everything gets jumbled and blurred by real fast as he learned new stuff all the time. He knew lots and could soon communicate and understand concepts. He knew all about his sister and his dad and it never occurred to him how odd his environment was. He just grew up with it so it could never really be questioned._

_Then he turned one year old. His father explained that he and his sister, oh, her name was Zag by the way, were born on the same day. They were… uh—oh! They were fraternal twins. That's right. _

"_Happy Birthday!" their dad exclaimed, giving them each a cupcake. They ate it quietly, holding their new things in their hands. Zag had a plush-doll and Miz now owned a really fun video game. He was playing it, sticking out his tongue to concentrate as his sister pranced about, talking to her toy._

_They do that though; girls are just weird._

_In mid-level of Miz's game, there was a knock on the door and Dib had stood. In had come the person their father had called dad. So there had to be some connection to Zag and Miz, he just didn't have a name for it yet._

"_What do you want…?" his father questioned, lifting round glasses, cleaning them._

"_Well, we would like to take Miz and Zag with us," the Professor said, no change in voice. Dib froze. Miz stood up and Zag had walked over, the girl burying her face in her dad's loose pants._

"_But I dun wanna," she mumbled, "Lulu will get sad." Lulu was Zag's new doll._

"_Where we gonna go?" Miz had asked, his game swinging from his hand. Sometimes this man in the white coat took Miz and Zag and they measured them. Like height and weight or their fingers. From time to time they cut Zag's hair for her too. Zag didn't like it, but that must just be because she __**has**__ hair. The Professor often asked Miz if any hair grew on him. He checked a lot, but no hair grew on his head or anywhere. _

_He didn't know what that meant, but it gave the man in white a funny look and he always wrote it down._

"_I don't think so," Dib stated crossing his arms. The Professor smiled. Miz didn't know why. Whenever his dad said no, the man got angry and stormed away. Just then, the man shot his hand out and clapped it on the back of his father's neck. The raven haired one made an inaudible sound and then the man let go._

"_That won't be an answer today," the Professor said and ushered Miz and Zag out of the room quickly. Lulu fell to the floor with the softest of bumps in the hurry and the associates all shuffled out the sliding doors. Miz heard a clatter of something and his antenna perked up._

_When he glimpsed under the man in the white coat's hand, his saw his dad on the ground holding the back of his neck woozily as a needle rolled across the ground in front of him. A doctor of the group noticed the boy's gaze and quickly closed the big automatic doors by flicking on a button._

_Miz learned something new then. _

"He didn't mean anything by it," Dib murmured. He was draping his arms over Zim's shoulders, searching with his bespectacled eyes the planes of the Irken's proud face. Zim spared Dib a smirk and rested their foreheads together.

"If you say so," was all he answered. No one was satisfied with it, but what else could be said?

"_Letgoletgoletgoletgoletgo!"_

"_Strap her down if you have to," the Professor ordered, "That's why I have installed them." _

_The female child was screaming, bleating out in sheer terror. Miz was frantically running back and forth between the thick slabs of plastic incased boxes, breathing heavily. White coated people kept jogging all over the place, forcing down tiny olive colored legs. The boy was trying his hardest to escape the prison he was thrown into the moment he stepped in the sterile lab._

_His little hands were slapping the walls, dull thuds resonating and causing his antenna to shiver with the sounds. The holes drilled in the side of the box allowed for calm, even breathes, but he was quickly filled the small space with more carbon dioxide than it could push out due to his panicking. _

_All Miz could focus on was the large needle heading straight to his sister's arm._

_And he screamed… and then all was black._

Miz sat eating a sandwich, slurping up some milk, his fingers stridently beating the clean counter of the kitchens. He wasn't really noticing it, but from time to time, he thought the digits looked more similar to the Irken who commanded this large ship.

Snorting, he took a bite of the sandwich, ignoring his sister who pranced around, growing excited about stopping at a port for the first time in their life. The hybrid child mentioned nothing of the fact they lived at Last PORT for the first five years of their horrid lives.

Yes. Five years.

They are—in human terms—around five years old. Unfortunately, Earth was decaying at the time of the birth so it is mostly estimated when they were actually born. They should turn six in a few months truthfully…

Irkens, it is widely known, are fast in maturing, and extremely dangerous. Take for example Zim, born in an incubator, already talking and feeling in a few short seconds and (at most) a minute just after being cruelly shoved into life. Humans, on the other hand, take at least a year or two to develop those sorts of actions and thoughts…

Zag and Miz seemed to have memories of their birth as it was. But they don't particularly know that was what the recollection pertains to, having no real knowledge of much at the time. So, they age about twice as fast as human children do. Although one could say only five to six years have past since coming into existence, the two have mentally and almost physically grown up to around age ten to twelve.

"_Amazing…" the doctors all whispered. Zag sniffled, rubbing her arms as she knocked on the wall separating her from her brother. He barely flinched, breathing shallowly. Growing worried, she tapped harder._

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

_Tap! Tap!_

_**Tap!**_

_**TAP**__!_

_And her fingernail broke off, smearing this purple goo all over the clear surface in front of her orbs._

_She was lucky enough to catch attention of a lady doctor with cropped hair the color of the nebulas they floated around. Her eyes, normally narrowed in agitation and detest, sprang wide as she fumbled to open the two cages._

_The lady yanked her out, then Miz, and put them on the metal table. Zag hopped off, grabbing her brother's foot so he could follow. That table meant bad things. She didn't want to be on it anymore._

_The doctor just held that tiny broken, violet-gooed hand tightly._

"_I'm not here to harm you, Zag," she whispered, her voice sounding both deep and dull, but Zag could remember there was something in it… maybe it was because someone besides her father was holding her hand comfortingly. "You're my namesake."_

_And so Zag knew what it was like to be safe._

Miz, in his annoyance that went on forever, began to complain when Zag started tapping her nails on the countertop. They flashed a metallic blue, making him wince.

"Jeez," he grumbled, finishing off his drink, "I can't believe you still have polish left! Where the hell did you hide it?"

"Miz!" she scolded, reaching out to smack him. He shied away, laughing as he made it just beyond her arm's length. "Stop using that language!"

"All I said was 'hell,'" he teased. The girl stuck out her tongue in irritation. Miz folded his arms on the shining top. "From some of the books I read, Hell was a place in the Earth's old religion of Christianity."

"What's that?" his sister asked, indulging a bit. Miz smirked while holding his chin in his palm.

"A man, supposedly God's only son, name Christ was sent down from Heaven in order to save the human race…" he trailed off, humming to himself as he thought about the pages of the book he had read.

"I think I remember something like that," Zag butted in, snapping the boy from his musings. "That stupid male nurse in training guy was up in arms about that stuff." Miz confusedly tilted his head. "He permanently bleached his hair; that one idiot who ran around calling dad a sinner?"

"Oh, that ass—"

"Ah, ah! Don't you say it!" Dib warned as he strut up from behind, pausing momentarily to flick the back of his son's head. Miz grimaced, letting his head drop back to see his father looking down at him with a raised brow.

"Sorry," the hybrid mumbled. The human shook his head. Gesturing, he told Zag her Dona was waiting on the next level for some help. The girl hurriedly flounced away after snickering to Miz how he was in so much trouble now.

"I think we need to talk," Dib murmured, seating himself down. Miz sighed, letting his shoulders round over in a slump. "You've been getting distant… I'm starting to worry…"

"I'm fine. Really, dad…" Miz answered, turning his head to the side and scratching at it. A tell sign, obviously.

"Miz, if this is about your d—"

"Don't call him that!" he interrupted, standing abruptly. Dib bit back his sentence, watching his child seethe silently, face twisted and hands shaking in fists. "_Why_ do you insist upon calling him that?!"

"Because that's what he is," the father whispered. It was too quiet for a human… but with such intricate and powerful antenna to pick it up, Miz heard it like a fierce beat of a drum.

"No… he's not… He's not anything to me…" Miz shook his head and turned around heavily. His footsteps echoed hollowly across the haul. Dib felt it with each smack, just how much it was hurting his son. Removing his glasses, he laid his head on the countertop and let out a shaky breath, fogging up the shiny surface.

"_Father! Father!" Miz was screaming, shaking the pale body, caramel orbs wide in fright. Zag was holding her arm, feeling the skin peeling off beneath her four digits. She sniffled as her brother grew desperate._

"_Miz, s-stop, I'm about to c-cry…" she tried, feeling her eyes gather water. She blinked again and again, but they kept filling up. The boy was suppressing his urge to keep yelling and shouting, kicking and biting. "H-He's not gonna wake u-up for a while…"_

_Miz leaned his head on his father, feeling the body lightly rises and then fall in a sweet rhythm. He was trembling, knotting his tiny fists in the dark sweater Dib was wearing. "Why are they doing this to us, Zag? Membrane said he was going to help us…"_

"_Auntie said that…" Zag turned her head, noting a doll slumped over on a high self, momentarily recalling the first time they had been experimented on. "Our grandfather just wants to help himself."_

"_He has no blood connection to me!" Miz swore, standing up and glaring over at the camera swiveling in the corner of the holding cell. "Do you hear me Professor?! DO YOU?!"_

"_Miz!" Zag called, letting go of her arm foolishly. Olive flesh slapped against the blazing tiles. A fountain of purple ooze gushed from her little arm. Miz cried out, tripping on the blood as he hurried over to hold her arm together. Blinking, the girl glanced at her limb, watching indifferently as Miz's hands tried to compress the wound, slipping in-between muscles and tendons._

_They sat down, Miz insanely apologizing under his breath as he tried to keep her arm together. Zag didn't say much, just asked him to bring her the bandages and gauze. They tried their best to wrap the injury tightly, the brother whispering assuredly she would be fine._

_After a while, the boy was just breathing, hands cramping as he had yet to let go of the arm. Zag pried his fingers off and he clutched on to her other hand, the violet goop webbing his fingers and sticking her to him._

"_It doesn't hurt me, Miz," the girl said softly. Miz didn't look up, he just stared at the sparklingly sterile floor._

"_It hurts __**me**__ Zag…"_

"_It's okay… You know that, we're alright," she soothed. Miz managed to bring up his head, antenna wiggling thoughtlessly._

"_We're not… so don't lie to make me feel better," he scolded. Zag nodded, blinking again as her eyes grew fell of liquid. Miz let go of her hand and wiped off the blood onto his shirt, reaching up just as the tears spilled forth. He caught the water before they could burn Zag's cheek. "You are a girl. Remember, you're supposed to be pretty. Burn scars aren't too pretty."_

_She laughed sadly and shook her arm. "Having no skin on your arm isn't very cute, stupid."_

_Miz gulped, ignoring the sting in his palms. He rested his head on top of his sister's inky fluffed skull. Sobs were making her shoulders wobble to and fro. "I'm sorry Zag… but that man is not our grandfather… He's at fault for everything… I __**swear**__ I'll save us someday."_

"_Please, no one is at fault here… there's nothing we can do," Zag mumbled, drying her eyes on the collar of his shirt._

"_There has to be a guilty party, Zag. Who else can I blame for all this suffering…?" he questioned. Zag tiredly shook her head, but couldn't speak anymore. "I hate them… I do… Everyone who has hurt us… I swear to you—you and dad… No more. They can't get away with this, no matter what color their blood is!"_

It was late… or the boy could assume so as the entire ship was in sleep mode. His sister was dozing on her bed, cool sheets lifting with her breathing. Miz, on the other hand, was never really a sound sleeper. Unable to be taunted with slumber he couldn't catch, the boy threw off his covers and padded out of the room as silently as he could.

He went straight to the gulley, rummaging around from some kind of food to eat. The last couple of days he had really taken a shining to some sort of breaded, fruity thingy. He didn't know what it was and it didn't look that appetizing, but, he tried it. Somehow, it was very scrumptious… but he didn't want to share it with Zag. Bleh on her.

After getting his snack, he wandered on over to the main part of the ship and took an elevator up to the overhanging. It was sort of like an indoor balcony dangling over the large greenhouse/garden thing and just a level below the flight room. A large window showed the direction the ship was headed. Stars in a blue glow drifted by in the utter blackness of space.

Miz settled himself on the edge of the hanging, sitting down to let one of his legs sway back and forth and using the other to prop up his arm on his knee to eat his snack.

Ice was floating by, sharp sickles forming odd angles and bouncing lightly off the invisible shields. Sometimes, they shattered; dust flying everywhere in the non-gravity atmosphere and coating the windows thickly. It was like pale fireworks…

Just then, the _swoosh_ of the doors opening made him jump, spinning around to see who entered. A tall emerald figure emerged and both orbs widened considerably in surprise. "What are you doing here?" was the question that popped out simultaneously. Both had paused, allowing the other time to speak.

The creak of the ship was the only answer.

Finally, sighing, Zim walked over, plopping down next to his son. "I have often come up here to meditate…"

"I found this place a few days ago. I can't sleep as well as Zag can," Miz explained begrudgingly. Zim glanced over, noting the boy leaning back on his elbows, not wanting to meet his eyes by looking off into space.

"Irkens don't need as much rest as humans do. A few hours are equivalent to about half a day of sleeping," Zim said. Miz visibly flinched. The dona placed his arms on top of his knees, hands drooping lazily. "You really do not like me, do you? I could go so far as to say you hate me."

Miz blanched, instantly swiveling his head to see Zim thoughtfully regarding him.

"My bluntness amazes most, it's very interesting for me," Zim mused. The boy let his eyes fall downcast. "I am use to distaste toward me… but I normally know the reason why. What makes you loathe me so?"

All that could be heard was faint breathing.

Miz had shaken his head, lifting up his hand to take another bite of his treat. He carefully chewed it before swallowing, glowering at a nearby streaking comet. Unsteadily, he opened his mouth and all his feelings powered out like the colors of the fiery rock in the skies.

"Zag and I lived in that stupid port for our entire lives… Father, he was locked up in a holding cell since I can remember. It was so he wouldn't interfere when Professor Membrane experimented on us." Miz had to stop; raising a nonexistent eyebrow told the older Irken. "He was our Grandfather and was the lead researcher you know. He wanted to destroy all Irkens for everything they had done to him. I don't doubt he abhorred our very being—me and Zag I mean."

"I had never believed in all the fairytales dad told us about you. I thought we were some by-product of an awful genetic experiment… I thought we were gonna die young, dad was gonna die, I lost all real hope of ever escaping Last Port," he ranted, losing it to that tightly coiled ball of pent up thoughts and feelings he kept locked away. "And then _all of a sudden_ YOU show up NOW?! _What the hell else_ am I suppose to feel for **you**?!"

Zim remained silent on the other end, listening with shimmering orbs no one could read.

"You—You show up like you just belong in this dysfunctional little family, claiming you are this long lost second parent my own father was too heartbroken to talk too much about; you want to protect us, keep us—whatever you want when you are YEARS too late to undo these damages already inflicted on us! Why do I loathe you?! _Why_?! You have the actual nerve to ask why?! I'll tell you goddamn why! I hate you for all the tragedy you have caused—bringing me into the world! Starting wars! Destroying everything you dare to touch with your greedy hands! I hate you, I hate you, I _**HATE**_ YOU!"

Miz took a big breath, unable to stop from hiccupping as he sank in on himself.

"Look at me Invader Zim… I have your flesh and your blood… but only humans can cry… if I cry, the water will burn me…" Miz was choking up, whining as he struggled to keep the tears at bay.

With shocking tenderness, a glove fell to the linoleum flooring, and a cool claw was placed on the young jade colored cheek. Miz's caramel eyes grew big as saucers and he jerked up his face to see Zim gazing down in askance.

"Go ahead and cry, Miz," he suggested softly, "Let your tears burn me. They are my burden to hold. It is too much to ask of my own child to be strong while I fell into weakness when I should have been there for him."

The plain sincerity was enough to push Miz over the proverbially edge and he collapsed. He could not find a response to that and all he could do was bend his head in sorrow and wail loudly at the injustice of brutality of the Irken before him… who could Miz blame for all the sufferings of life on now?

"_Don't be stupid," Dib mumbled to himself as he looked up. He was lying quite comfortably on Zim's lap, legs waving about in the air over the arm rest of the couch. The alien was grinning as he absently tugged on the long lock of hair splayed about his legs. _

"_I'm not… But I'm just thinking…" Zim replied. The human ended up shrugging, turning to his side to hug the thick, lean legs. He nuzzled into them, humming a song. "The ships mostly done… I would like to get it flying now at least."_

"_Wait until it's completely done, I don't want anything happening to you… I have no idea how to build a ship at all. You're a parent now. You have to think about the child… and me… what would happen if you—" Dib was about to go on a rant again when Zim hushed him. It wasn't the normal shush, but an urgent one._

_Dib sat up and Zim stood immediately, shooting straight for the tiny crawlspace that leads into the new lab. Dib blinked, worriedly following. The invader demanded to see the outside layouts to the house, gasping as an image flicked in front of his eyes. The human tried to peek over his shoulder, but Zim spun around to fast and shoved him away._

"_Quick, you have to hide!" he hissed. With drawn brows, he rose on his toes to see what had made Zim so upset, but the alien was cornering him to the back bedroom. "Hurry, the closet, stay in there!"_

"_What? No, I—"_

"_No time to argue, get in n—"_

_Then the front door exploded, splintering into a million pieces of debris._

Dib made a noise, starting up in bed. Zim quickly whispered something to him, soothing him back down and into the bed. The words sounded similar to apologies, but that wasn't quite right. It was just a lulling mumble to ease the human back to sleep. Soon, a hand was threading through his inky hair and Dib blinked, relaxing a bit as he let his body slouch into the malleable bedding.

The human sighed, reaching up to take hold of that hand caressing him. A few seconds passed by and Dib realized gauze was wrapped tautly about the emerald claw he held. The human twisted a bit, examining it awkwardly. "What happened?"

"Nothing Dib-love, just my carelessness."

"Oh… well… please be more cautious? I—"

"Am perfectly alright. I swear to you, I'll take good care…"

"Zim?"

"Back to sleep Dibby… everything is going to be just fine now."

"…"

"Dib…?"

"Hmm?"

"N-Nothing… just… dream about me."

"Hahah… yeah… I always do."

"Good night."

"… zzz …"

"I'll keep away the nightmares from now on… I swear it."

**TBC**

**A/N**: Well, that's it for this chapter. YAY! Miz Lurve. I like him a whole lots. I am thinking of making a spin-off of Zag and Miz's adventures after I finish this fic. Man I love them _**so**_ much, sometimes when I discuss IZ to my friend, I slip up and call Gaz Zag and Miz will pop into the conversation somehow… But I can't help but love them!!

OH, and I drew this totally amazing picture of Miz at age (what looks to be) seventeen!

So… um, there's nothing to really talk about. But if you have questions, just ask. I'll let you know the answers, unless it pertains to things that I want to be a surprise. So, hahaha, you can't know those. But you won't know unless you, like, ask me….. well, ask!

Talk to you all another time! Hope you enjoyed!

(_**SteelAgainstIvory**_)


	6. More Than The Original Seven

**A/N:** Unfortunately, I have really bad writers block with this chapter. No hate please! It's also not as carefully proof read as my other chapters, if you see a typo or silly mistake please inform me! I'll fix it, I swear!

**Warning:** Contains… lots of crap really… like AlienxBoy mating that results in weirdness… compared to that everything is just peachy.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, don't own… But I like to dream sometimes….

**Summary: **I don't have a summary up in the fic anymore because I keep changing it. I just can't find one to grab people's attention. If anyone has one they think will work and I do enjoy because it says the plot better than I can do, I** will **put it up. Until then, ya'll just have to read to find out what the hecks is going on. –winces- Really sorry, guys.

**Remember:**

"Speech"

_Thoughts/Memories_

Time Breaks

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

**Chapter Six-**More Than The Original Seven

Down the squeaky clean white paneled halls, a lofty professor calmly marched to the room where his only daughter was housed in a comatose like state. No one bothered this intimidating man, and his journey to the room was quite uneventful.

He opened the door by his security bandage and a quick punching in of his numbers. A small monitor switched from a red color to a green. While sticking the card back into his pocket, the navy colored lanyard swaying gently, the doors unlocked and _whooshed_ open for him. As soon as he entered he noted the few nurses padding around, changing bed sheets and taking body temp signs.

Membrane clasped his hands behind his back, tilting his head and just watching for a moment. The thin, violet haired young woman sleeping almost peacefully in the sterile bed barely even twitched. Yet the professor had no intention of letting her die gracefully.

Let her whither away just like his pride, as his life works' had.

It is strange… a father could not see his children as a valuable life work…

"Professor Membrane…" a soothing androgynous voice drifted over the intercom system, making him glance up unexpectedly, "A video feed is requested from a separate, private entity. Immediate response, please." Glaring quickly at the sparse nurses in their tight, bright pale uniforms, he ordered them to leave him.

"Video fed channel open, private line, Membrane. Numbers 74921. Infirmary… StationRS-802," he announced and strut over the bed as the screen buzzed on, flickering darkly for a moment and then lighting up, showing the entities.

"Professor Membrane," the angered voice greeted. The professor didn't even blink.

"Tallest Red. Pleasure to see you again," he said, "How long has it been?"

"I lost count of time with your constant failures!" the alien snarled. Again the professor didn't even flinch. The Irken on the screen let out a breath and pointed one of his talons at the man. "You have not found Zim, nor did you do anything in regards to the smeets he sired."

"I do not need to find _Zim_," he answered calmly. "All I have to do is find his human—my son you have seem to forgotten." Sightlessly, the eyes had narrowed to a dangerous degree. "As for the offspring, I have placed trackers in them. Currently my team is monitoring them and we are launching a strike as quickly as possible."

"For your sake I hope you are…" Red warned. Sighing the alien then cut off transmission. The screen fuzzed out in a wave of stormy static. The professor smiled and pivoted on his heel, leaving the room almost gaily if you knew the kind of man he was. Membrane did not even mind the missing weight in his pocket where the key card had been.

As the door swished closed, the man picked up his communicator and asked, _quite_ pleasantly, "Please switch on locator **G**14**A**10**Z**19."

Port Sagilia, Milky Way

So the ship was docked, anchored by Gir and Mini-Moose rather excellently despite their modest size. Zim maneuvered well, Dib sitting beside him and helping by keeping the remaining reactor cores from over heating. Zag and Miz ran around the ship, shouting to their hearts content about **finally** being able to see another port.

"This. Is. So. Cool!" Zag punched the air with each word, resisting the urge to giggle and jump for joy. Miz managed to laugh, covering his mouth embarrassed when a snort somehow escaped him.

"Gah! I don't even have a nose…!" he mumbled, rubbing at the inconspicuous semi-bump all Irkens were characteristic of. Zag watched bemused, hands on her hips as she shook her head. The scene was interrupted as Zim emerged from the command center fishing in his pockets for something while Dib followed with a yawn. "Oh! Father!" The young boy walked up, tugging on his sleeve lightly. "Are we coming as well?"

"I assumed we were!" Zag added in, gazing up at her Dona with those rounded, rose-colored eyes. Zim's antenna flexed, showing his concern as he finally found what he was searching for. In his gloved claws were two metal rings and a clip.

"Well, I wasn't planning to leave any of you unsupervised on the ship—"

"We ain't gonna steal it, Zim," Miz replied, gruffly pulling down on Dib's hand he turned back, "Really, dad, me and Zag wouldn't!" Dib just sighed and patted him on the head. Zag hissed at him to be quiet, and he glared, sticking out his striped tongue. The tall alien tuned out the bickering and flicked on the objects he was holding.

"What I have here is a device used to understand different languages," he explained. Zag's eyes widened and she held out her hand almost immediately. Her Dona placed a metal ring in his palm, the cool, smooth metal winking up at her in the brightly lit entrance doors.

"Wow…" she breathed. Zim held one out for Miz, who took it between his thumb and forefinger to inspect it. From there he walked up to Dib, putting on the clip to the soft human cartilage of the left ear. Zim couldn't help but let a small smile grace his face.

"I remember when you had many of these scattered over you…" he whispered, the Irken hand lingering. Dib felt his brows slope down in grief, but he managed to give back a weak grin. Zim could feel the urge welling up inside him to hold his human, but let it go as Miz asked him something. "H-Huh?" the invader said, glancing down at the boy.

"I said," he repeated, rolling those eyes carelessly, "Zag and I don't have ears."

"Ah, no," the emerald being yielded, "But you do have antennae. Since we feel, hear, and smell from them, it goes on one. Whichever one works, I'll help you put it on." So saying, Zim bent down, turning Miz's back to him, and quickly snapped the ring around the base of the bulb of the right antenna. The cold, secure grip of the item jolted Miz's spine and he wheeled around, pushing away from Zim with a yelp.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, forgot to mention the slight shock of that," he tried to apologized, playing with his own antenna by leathered fingertips. "I'm really sort of use to it. Many years under a hot wing is worse that cold metal."

Zag flung her brother out of the way as he grumbled under his breath, flouncing to show her backside, and consciously raising one of her antennae. Zim aided her and placed the ring on, however carefully warming it up with his breath first. Zag's antenna twitched as the scent of mint permeated her senses.

"Now that we are all ready to go," Dib stated gleefully as he went straight over to the button to open the bay-door, "How about a nice day of family shopping?"

Zim chuckled, rubbing his hands together; Miz merely groaned, and Zag struck a comic victory pose, ready for action…

_The pain was unlike anything he ever felt before. He had been cut and burned his whole childhood while he tried to keep aliens and other such creatures from invading his home. Bruises could always be seen under massive amounts of bandages at any given time in the year. There were piles and piles of doctor bills from various occasions where broken bones had to be put in casts straight away because of the severity._

_Dib had known pain._

_Yet… this pain was deep, stinging, aching._

_His screams reached pitches unheard by human ears. Vibrations could barely even reach the Irken antenna; that was how loud they were. It would be impossible to describe it accurately._

_His own father had taken him, belted him down to a cold, obdurate medical table where he was immediately struck with needles thick and glinting in the harsh lights of the ship he was forced upon… It barely registered that it was taking off from the earth. The only thing in his mind was the grating pain in his abdomen._

_And his heart._

_That was shredded to bloody, bloody ribbons._

_Zim was gone. How the human knew this at such a critical hour is not something to be understood… Still, it was. They—the horrid fucking Tallest—had captured him, shoved the exile into the wall, snarling words in a language Dib wasn't much aware of until then. And that's when Membrane had shown up, unheeding of his own son's pleas. At that time, a cloth was over his mouth, and a struggle ensued in momentary panic as a bitter taste fell across his tongue._

_And then black… followed by __**pain**__._

"_Induced labor successful," a nurse's calm voice drifted past Dib's burning ears. Blurry shapes danced in and out of his sight. The glasses were lying somewhere off on a rolling table. They twinkled in the light at him. _

_Dib's pale hand blended in with the equipment, walls, sheets, all around him._

"_P-Please…" he begged in a whisper as a tremor shook him. No one listened._

"_First incision, marked… now…"_

_The slice of skin familiar, another scream, but no desperate thrashing… Dib realized… they had immobilized him, but applied no anesthetics. He would feel it all. Each blade, each probing hand, and every breath he took made tears run down the sides of his face. No matter the screams, there would be no comfort._

_Would death be an option, he wondered as something sharp was cutting away at his innards. Violently, a moan escaped him when a rather distinct unit was removed from his stomach… and strangely enough… another…_

_Holding his breath, Dib waited from what seemed an eternity… and then a feeble, but clearly audible, cry erupted into the room. Nurses and doctors made no sounds other than shuffling feet like the dried leaves in trees. He sighed, not worrying about the sweat dripping off his body, or the staples closing up his wound. Someone propped him up, but exhaustion kept him from knowing exactly who._

_Then, there were bright emerald bundles in his straining arms. They cooed softly, they're orbs covered by a cooled cloth. His children… or smeets as Zim would have called them…One with a fuzzy black head, the other bald, but the little antenna were drooped down, seeming to sway with his heartbeat._

"_The one in your left is a girl, and the other is a boy…" a voice, deep and uncaring, told him. Absently, the new father laughed, his fingers stroking the smooth expanse of his son's forehead._

"_Hello Miz…" he greeted. The baby gurgled and buried his head in the crook of Dib's shoulder. Dib smiled, turning to the fussy little girl. "Welcome to the world, Zag." Blissfully, the young man hummed to his children, deciding to be concerned later of his predicament._

_But, that was not what the Professor had in mind._

"_You are officially worthless now, son," the man said. All the nurses in the room shivered visibly. Dib did not look up, but his smile faded. "I will take the offspring for further study once you are finished."_

"_No. You won't."_

"_You believe you can stop me in your current—"_

"_They are in my arms at this time; I can do whatever I need to in order to protect them," he growled. Membrane chuckled, strutting over and bending down so his reflective goggles were only a centimeter from Dib's nose—a distance he could see quite fine at._

"I doubt that. You care too much to do something so drastic…" his own father whispered. Dib cursed under his breath and tightened his hold on the babies. They were staring unblinkingly, neither one giving the other an inch… until the doors were vehemently banged open.

_The two males gasped and their necks snapped to the side to witness who had arrived._

_Gaz stood, glaring, arms crossed and a pristine lab coat fluttering in the circulating fake air. Dib's face broke out in a shit-eating grin while the professor straightened, silently questioning his daughter. She stomped straight over and placed her palm on the top of her older brother's raven head._

"_I forgot to mention," Gaz intoned caustically as a way of greeting, "I have been studying the human body AND the Irken one while you were merely _searching_ for ones. From what I have gathered, the smeet/children/offspring need a biological parent close by in order to survive. If research is to be done, first they must survive._ I_ will deem it necessary when testing shall be done at the earliest."_

_Gaz raised an eyebrow, daring the man in front of her to question it. With calculating eyes unseen, he only nodded, and promptly left the room, all subsequent personnel retreating as well. Dib closed his eyes and struggled to relax._

"_Thanks…"_

"_Don't mention it," she answered seriously. The young lady observed the room with apprehension. "But I have a bad feeling we aren't out of the woods just yet." _

_Dib was too tired to say anything else and bobbed his head up and down. Gaz then carefully took the two children and laid them in cribs at the other end of the room, monitoring them with an eagle's eye._

_The siblings, of course, never knew about the third pair of eyes floating about the room, noting every second of interaction. Professor Membrane could only faintly smile at his kids' too easily trusting and arrogant nature… a better part of his own capabilities he was glad to account for._

Port Sagilia, Jax Supplies

Jax didn't get many customers. In fact, Jax rarely knew what customers meant; his store was so empty all the time. Perhaps that was his entire fault though. _**Jax Supplies**_was a rather boring name for a seedy port shop. Almost anyone could stroll down Sagilia and find entertaining—if not crude—installments of businesses dotted about the neon and swirled port streets.

For example… _**Jizard's Wizards**_, a very lovely little ditty of a place. _**Big Berthaz's Beauty Boutique**_, Jax hadn't really been there but the flashy place seemed quite hospitable_**. Vecon's Eatry,**_ a restaurant that held fabulous cuisine from the Opec Galaxy. Excellent burgoos-fries.

So there you have it. Jax's shop had a sucky name. Nonetheless, the man didn't much care. He considered his little shop a diamond in the rough. Jax didn't get many customers… but the ones he did get were _always_ loaded with credits. Ya see… Jax was a human abducted by a race of rather flower loving alien-hippie drones. He didn't remember that much about Earth, so it was a constant fascination to him about this mysterious planet he was born and partially raised on.

Notably, Jax was clever (despite the awful store name) and skinny. Having a talent for listening and watching with his keen orbs—one that was actually an implant due to a misfortune a decade and a half ago—he picked up quite a few good tips here and there and could come by practically anything ever requested. Earth, after its sordid death, became a macabre interest to many buyers that wandered past Sagilia.

Ah, wonderful Sagilia, the dead-center in the middle of the universe of crime world.

Suffice to say anyone acquiring to earthly items somehow or another stumbled upon Jax. Well, anyone really looking for anything could come to Jax no matter what. His success rate was perfect (Jax never counted the time he lost his own precious bunny slippers he had since his abduction, because honestly, he was in his preteens when he lost them).

Well, just as the sandy haired human was bemoaning the loss of no customers, he heard the bell on his door ring as it opened up…

A Few Moments Prior To Jax's Introduction And Coincidentally Right Outside His Shop

"This is the place…" Zim muttered, stuffing his locater into his PAK. Zag ran up to his legs and clutched on to the fabric of his pants, gazing up at the sudden contrast of blinding neon to run down, gray and shabby shack. Miz was blinking, finding an odd interest in the dusty store in front of him. Dib had his hands shoved in his pocket and whistled.

A few whispered and grunts were picked up by his clip-translator. "_**Jax Supplies**_?" Dib mumbled under his breath. Miz leaned back on his balls of his feet and spied his father's minor curious-disgusted face.

"I kinda like it," he said. Dib pulled a face and then shrugged.

"I just feel lost here. I use to have a written translator a long time ago…" he grumbled, throwing a look to Zim who sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

"I did warn you!" he protested lightly. The human managed to glower, sticking out his bottom lip. Zag's head swiveled between the two, attention shot between this strange port and the memories her parents argued over.

"What did you do, Dona?" she questioned. Both adults' faces colored and Zim spun on the heel of his boots, quickly striding over and opening the front door of the shop. The rest followed him in a flurry.

"_I _didn't do anything!" he snapped. Dib scoffed and caught up, tugging on the back of his crimson jacket harshly.

"Oh bull!" he objected, "You frickin' smashed it with your damn spider legs!"

"Hey! I _told_ you—"

"Told me?! You **screamed** at me!" the human interrupted. Zim shrugged out of his coat, sharply turning to glare at the pallid being.

"Irkens don't scream, we merely order loudly," he replied haughtily. He smiled that notorious fanged smiled, tapping the human's button nose. "And _everyone_ complies with the orders."

"Gah! I swear Zim if there weren't bystanders…!" Dib threatened. Zim laughed, which of course, echoed malevolence. Zag and Miz patiently rested at the closed-door quite use to the bickering their parents went through. Zag couldn't help but find it adorable; Miz was only a little put off this time, as he couldn't pay attention too much when in such a new and enticing environment.

"Um…" a distinctly English and human voice cut through the tension, thus evaporating the scene more or less instantaneously. All four visages glanced over to see a tall, thin blond man, maybe in his late teens, leaning on a steel counter. He had an odd eye patch over his left eye, and a couple chains dangling around his neck fashionably. His clothes were tattered and oily, but reasonably comfy looking. "Can I help you?"

Dib blinked numerous amounts of time; Zim smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets, while the two children rushed up to the counter gazing with their enormous orbs. Jax peered down, mentally trying to place their heritage and coming up confused. Irken? Martian? Zeboian? Dib immediately tensed again and walked over to tug his kids back by the scruff of their shirt collars.

"Uh-uh. You look with your eyes, not with your hands!" the human ordered. Just then Jax remembered he had a box of random parts lazing about the counter tops. They must have been reaching for it while he was busy studying them.

Okay, maybe Jax was a bit of an idiot.

"Err, yeah," he intoned, falling back and snatching the box, "Be careful! This stuff is…" he glanced down, and frowned, "Actually, I think it's mostly junk." Zim scoffed and began searching through shelves and grabbing certain items, letting his PAK scan them. "Well. Eh, here ya go kids. Take 'em. I can't sell much these days anyway."

Jax pushed the cardboard box across the counter. Miz had eagerly escaped his father's grasp and catapulted himself onto the counter. It surprised the poor storekeeper, who stepped back instinctively for a fight, he relaxed when he realized the boy was only rifling through the stuff. The blond human smiled a bit at the delight in those bright amber orbs. It reminded him of candy—those happy eyes. He looked up to another human; about to introduce himself when he realized the darker haired one in front of him had the same colored eyes.

Jax felt a shock travel down his spine as he noted the Irken in the room stroll over and place his claw against the naked forearm of pale flesh ("Hey," Zim had said, "I dunno if the parts can be found here. But we could make a new one…"). It wasn't much, but you could see the intimacy sizzling between the two. The human turned a bit, leaning to the touch as his face showed a level of distress only lovers could see ("How long will it take? I dunno if we should be here for more than a few days…").

Then it hit him.

Irken and human offspring?! Wasn't there only one known history of that? Didn't the Armada say they had perished? The offspring _and_ the parents?!

"Apparently not…" Jax breathed. All eyes turned back to him. He blanched, realizing he was known for breathing vociferously. He held up one finger, closing his eyes with a good-natured smiled. "Excuse me while I promptly faint."

And then Jax thudded to the floor…

Somewhere Off in the Deep Recesses of Space

A hoarse voice cursed out of nowhere.

Holding onto a throbbing shoulder, a being swayed in the darkness of her cockpit of a tiny vessel. Strands of hair were slick with seat, making them sparkle like violet gems. A pale arm slid in information across the touch-screen program.

"Locate trackers number…" fumbling cards clicked in echoes "1223 and 1224."

"Yes m'am," a smooth British accent answered. A breath of relief washed over the open pod window. It misted and then dispersed with a blast of warm air from the heater.

"Don't worry, bro," Gaz mumbled, slipping her tired lids closed. Her hands clicked on the autopilot joystick without ever spying down. "I swore that I'd help you… and I am." Then the escape pod traveled swiftly through the floating dusts of planets. "I just hope I can get there in time."

She shook her head then.

"No 'hope'. I _will_."

And we'll just forget that slip of insecurity. After all, this was Gaz.

Gaz could do nothing wrong, right?

Right.

"_Why are you doing this?!" the tall emerald Irken growled. His ruby eyes glared fiercely behind the bars of the electricity. The holding cell was in a tiny square room in a corridor in the bowels of the Massive. All around was dark, dark gray. "I have grown, yes! But I have no desire to rule your corrupted system! Let me go dammit!"_

"_You have fraternized with the enemy," a being, cloaked in the radiant overhanging boomed._

"_I was exiled!"_

"_Exactly! You are to live alone!" the second figure interjected, pointing down at the captured one, who shrieked in frustration._

"_Regardless, they were not our enemy!" a ripped gloved showed a twitching claw gesturing wildly in a vague direction. The two other Irkens shook their heads._

"_We had sent for you. They did not comply. If they cannot do as we say, they are against us," was what the one hued in red explained. That same twitching claw fisted, and punched the wall, bones crunched, but the captured soul made no notion of it of any kind. It was frightening, in simplistic terms._

"_You cut off contact with me first!" was the enraged reply. "When I sent all those reports back…" the hand slipped from the wall. Spots of blue littered the bland flooring and smeared the smooth surface. "I believed that was it. I gave up ever hearing from you. When you finally, finally spoke back to me, I had moved on. You didn't have to worry over me anymore!"_

"_We always worried over you," a fond tone came from the one donned in purple. "Our most beloved invader."_

"_Don't you lie to me!" said invader shouted, lunging toward the bars. Neither Tallest even flinched. The energy charged bars sent spikes of agonizing white heat all across the emerald being. A scream of fury reverberated raggedly as sparks dazzled round the modest cell._

_One of the Tallest grew tired of watching, and quickly pulled out a remote, thus shutting off power to the bars of the cell door. The emerald being let out a grunt, sliding down the bars with sizzling palms and bleeding digits; the smell, the sight was truly a sickening thing. The tallest tsked and gazed down haughtily._

"_Do you see?" _

"_Yes. The persistence…"_

"_I swear," the imprisoned Irken's hoarse voice filled the entire ship, leeching life and bringing dread, "If you do not release me… I will kill you. I will escape and go rescue my human from your damned clutches!"_

"_Oh dear…"_

"_Very!"_

"_What?!" he snarled. The Tallest shared a believable look of pity. Something extremely rare in Irken culture. Even more so than love._

"_No appears to have told him."_

"_It seemed so, yes."_

"_TOLD ME WHAT?!" the jailed one demanded, rising and glowering death a thousand times over._

"_About your human."_

"_The poor thing…"_

"_Indeed."_

"_Poor thing, to our invader as well."_

"_Agreed."_

"_Oh, such a tragedy."_

"_W-What are you talking about…?" the Irk the color of precious earth gems question with a vice gripping his heart._

"_You see," Tallest Red explained with a degree of graveness, "During the time we brought you back with us, it seems that the human's parental unit also took the liberty of reclaiming his smeet. This process accidentally trigged the human in a delicate state. They had to, well, in human terms, manually induce labor in order to save the offspring and the human. Unfortunately, in such a delicate state… your beloved human is now gone, Invader Zim."_

_Zim choked on his breath and spun around, seizing his chest. "N-No…"_

"_It's the truth. However, Red has forgotten to mention that the smeet have also been lost to you," Purple kindly interjected. "As soon as the host died, so did the parasites."_

"_THEY WEREN'T PARASITES!"_

"_The human body would disagree."_

"_Our Irken bodies disagree too."_

"_How could you have not recalled that little fact, I wonder?"_

"_Because he is selfish. Wonderful trait for an invader."_

"_Shut up!" Zim demanded, stomping his boots and pivoting back, orbs seething. "Just shut up! I don't believe you for one second! I can still feel Dib!"_

"_Dib?"_

"_The name of the human."_

"_Ah."_

"_Very sentimental, eh?"_

"_I said shut up! You don't know anything about us!" Zim cried out, thrashing at the bars like a lunatic. The tallest grew weary of this behavior and once more switched the electricity back on. They had wait a whole five minutes for the younger Irken to calm down._

_Zim struggled to stay upright, blood—bright and blue—oozed out of the fanged mouth. The skin of his talons were burned away until only the muscles were showing. His breathing was erratic and heartbeat struggling._

"_Why would you do this…?" Zim asked, eyes groggy with pain, but determined. The Tallest chuckled, forked tongues peeking out from time to time._

"_Why not?"_

"_It simply must be, Zim."_

"_We cannot have the luxury of caring."_

"_Irkens are cruel things."_

"_I know…" he ground out, closing his eyes, "And I don't care."_

"_Stop running from our purpose."_

"_Our destiny."_

"_Yes. We must conquer."_

"_Destroy."_

"_We…? You mean you two," Zim laughed bitterly._

"_No, all of us."_

"_You are missing the point, young one."_

"_Then tell me your point!" the youth declared, rising himself to full height and letting go of the bars. "All you're doing is succeeding in __**destroying**__ my fucking __**patience**__!"_

"_You must do what is written for you."_

"_Yes. It has all been preplanned you know."_

_Zim was silent, orbs shining. The Tallest, believing they had won the argument, swished their royal cloaks and floated down the hallway. They left the holding cell with nothing but a paper drifting to the ground. As soon as they were completely gone, the holding place sealed tautly, the prisoner collapsed._

_Dragging his broken body across the floor, Zim went to that flickering paper. His bloodied hand slapped down on the paper, staining it. Shakily, Zim turned his hand toward his blurry sight. What he gazed upon caused a shocked and despondent gasp to rip from his throat. The would-be dona curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth and denying what he was seeing. Unable to ignore his own eyes, his elegant neck tilted back and he screamed towards the heavens._

_And he screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and…_

_From the observing room, Red and Purple roared with laughter, sensuously entwining as they watched Zim's last straw of sanity break. They flicked off the screen before they grew too drunk of the thrilling emotion of dominance. Red roughly grabbed his partner and trailed his claws down the lean backside. Purple hummed and leaned in. Together they fell into an intoxicated state of unparalleled arousal as they never have experienced before._

"_Truly, what a misfortune for the poor creature."_

"_For him, but not for us, my love…"_

**TBC…**

**A/N:** So yeah. That is it for this chapter. I am severely depressed. No one seems to like this fic much. I am assuming its because of the M-Preg. Which, I completely understand. I freakin' hate M-Preg. Like, sooooooooooooooo much. So why am I writing one…?

Well, it's one of those stories that just won't keep quite, ya know?

I never thought I would fall in love with this one, more of, I just had to write it, yet, I have. I have seriously, really come to enjoy this story.

Well, for my fans, there are less memory scenes. I'm actually running out of them! Lol! Only two. Zim rarely has the memories; here are the rare ones though.

Oh! And please tell me how you like Jax. I dunno where exactly he'll be going, but I love him. Hope you do to…

Okay, until next time! Please review, 'cause I love you!

(SteelAgainstIvory) 


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